Something Wicked
by cupcakemolotov
Summary: When Caroline inherited Bloom, she'd expected bridezillas, the occasional need for witchery. But her summer is interrupted by the noisy renovations of the tattoo parlor across the street. Then hushed rumors start to float around New Orleans about missing witches and vampires. And where vampires walk, demons follow.
1. Chapter 1

In celebration at Laine's birthday, I have tried my hand a florist/tatto artist AU. I hope everyone enjoys!

Also, a big thank you to everyone who helped me get this thing written. You ladies know you are and I greatly appreciate all your help.

* * *

Caroline had a thing for tattoos.

She liked the splashes of color against skin; she liked to guess what those little pieces of intimacy meant. So the hot guy at the bar, with the fascinating line of tattoos along his forearm, was distracting. It didn't help that she was a teeny, tiny bit tipsy, but the night was for celebration.

She had just made the final payment on her mortgage, taken out to modernize the home she'd inherited from her grandmother. She'd nearly danced her way out of the bank, now several hundred dollars richer each month, and decided to celebrate. She'd tried to talk Bonnie into ditching her cheesy walking ghost tour, but she'd refused.

Her friend had an odd sense of humor, seemed to honestly enjoy mixing the history of the quarter with a few sneaky witch tricks for the odd jump scare. Humans came to New Orleans to find magic, to gaze at the strange and the weird. Bonnie helped deliver that without letting them see beyond the careful veil kept between humanity and _real_ magic.

Over the past century, strides had been made to bridge the gap between supernatural and humanity, but it was a slow process. So Caroline left her friend to her job and she'd dragged Gia out instead. So far, they'd gone just a smidge heavy on the tequila.

 _The Firehouse_ was a fun witch bar tucked away from the beaten path, and it was a short walk from Caroline's shop. A fun mix of witchery and humanity, it was a place most witches took their human friends or significant others for a night of fun. Teetering on her heels, she'd pressed against the counter and grinned at the bartender, who looked swamped at the other end of the bar.

For a weeknight, it was strangely packed.

Willing to wait, Caroline had let her eyes drift across the faces of the regulars. Other than the odd tourist she wasn't really expecting to find anything interesting. Then her gazed snagged on curious lettering inked along skin, before her eyes drifted across the rest of him.

He was pretty, with tumbled curls and full lips. The scruff along his jaw only emphasized his mouth and cheekbones, and if Gia hadn't been waiting for the next round at their table, Caroline would have introduced herself. It really didn't help her self-control that he'd unknowingly provided her with eye candy by rolling the sleeves of his shirt up towards his elbows.

There was something about his jaw, the way he held himself, that she found appealing. Biting the corner of her mouth, she sneaked a second glance, eyeing the colorful line of symbols that scrolled along the cords of muscle. She'd puzzled over the meaning, as she waited, never one to be satisfied with an unfinished puzzle, and she wasn't familiar with the runes.

"See something you like, sweetheart?"

His voice was low and accented, and carried a hint of something that sounded like magic. Flushing slightly at being caught, Caroline pursed her lips as she pressed her hip against the counter and blatantly took in the entire package in a longer perusal. She wasn't disappointed. Those lips of his quirked upwards, suggesting dimples, and his shirt hinted at a lean strength she quite liked. Combined with the low timbre of his voice and accent, she stopped her attempt at subtlety.

Amusement darkened his gaze the longer she looked, and she arched a brow as he returned her lingering once over, gaze a slow drag down her work outfit. She nearly wrinkled her nose as she realized she was probably sporting streaks of pollen and that her button up was colorful, but not necessarily flattering. Shrugging mentally, she decided to brazen it out, see if she could at least get a name.

"You're new around here," Caroline drawled.

"Hmm, so I am, love," he murmured, head tilting to the side. "What gave me away?"

His tone was perfectly polite, but it ruffled her feathers anyway, and her eyes narrowed. Maybe it was the lingering amusement behind his gaze. His words could have been taken as a good natured tease, if it hadn't felt like he was laughing _at_ her. She _hated_ being dismissed as a bit of blonde fluff, and tequila left her direct.

Reaching forward, she wrapped her nails sharply next to his wrist. "Actually, it was the tattoos. Glyphs like that tend to make an impressions in the community, and I get all the _best_ gossip. So that means either you're visiting or your move here was _super_ recent."

Something moved behind his eyes at her bite. It was the way his eyes caught the light that she couldn't quite explain, and it buzzed against her skin. She wondered if he was a witch. That would explain why he was visiting New Orleans. Gaze narrowing as he frowned, her temper spiked and she gave him a cold smile before swiveling on her heels, dismissing him.

Leaning forward, she waved down the bartender and motioned firmly for another round, spine stiff. She tensed as calloused fingers wrapped lightly around her wrist, the hold feather light. His fingers were warm against her skin, and her breath hitched at the unexpected caress. Unnerved, she twisted around and glared at his forwardness, but paused as she took in the contrition on his face.

"Apologies, love. My ill temper isn't your fault." Caroline pressed her lips briefly together before giving a nod. He continued, thumb briefly grazing her pulse point. "Perhaps you'll allow me to acquit myself, buy you a drink?"

She squinted at him, trying to get a read on his sincerity. Each brief caress against her skin sent sparks racing up her arm, and she fought a shiver as he graced the delicate skin on the underside of her wrist. His eyes didn't waver, unabashed, and she briefly caught her lip with her teeth.

"I know about shitty days," Caroline finally admitted, tone only slightly begrudging. His lips curled, but before he could reply, her next round of shots appeared. Murmuring her thanks, she gently tugged her wrist free and ignored the flutter low in her belly as his fingers slowly released her.

"It appears I spoke too late," he canted his head. "Perhaps the next round?"

Caroline glanced at him from beneath her lashes, gathering the glasses. Another night, a little less rudeness, and she might have taken him up on the offer. "Thanks, but not necessary."

His mouth curved, and to her surprise, this time his amusement didn't leave her wanting to shut him down. It was a coaxing smile, one that spoke well of him after being turned down, and it briefly lightened his eyes. "Perhaps a rain check then."

"Perhaps," she murmured, before she turned and walked back to the booth were Gia was waiting for her. It wasn't until Gia was peering over her shoulder with both brows raised into her hairline, that Caroline realized she hadn't gotten a name.

"Who's the hottie?"

Caroline made a face as she slid into the booth, glad she'd done a tiny privacy spell when they'd sat down. The last thing she wanted was for someone to overhear Gia. Her friend's volume fluctuated when she was drunk. "I didn't get a name."

Gia blinked and then looked down at her shot glass with the faintest touch of betrayal. "I _must_ be sloshed. I could have sworn I just heard you say that you didn't get his name. _You_."

Eyes rolling, Caroline picked up her glass and downed the tequila in one go, savoring through the burn. "You're not drunk. Well, not completely."

Gia pressed one hand over her mouth, clearly trying to hide her tipsy giggles, and Caroline snagged a lingering chip from their earlier plate of nachos. "Laugh it up, then."

Gia shoulders shook for a long moment, eyes bright with laughter. "Well, it couldn't have been a complete disaster, because he gave you a loooooong look before he left."

Caroline froze for a moment as she fought the urge to confirm Gia's words. "He was pretty, but a bit rude."

Although his apology hadn't been too shabby.

"Ah, one of those?" Gia drawled, brows drawing together. "I mean, with a face like that, you wouldn't necessarily need him to _talk_."

Snorting out a laugh, Caroline finished off the nachos. "Now that'd be a pity. He's _British."_

Gia shook her head. "Your love of accents, Forbes. They _do_ eventually lose their charm."

"Some of us weren't blessed to spend a semester at Oxford," Caroline complained. She ducked her chin, and chanced a quick look through her hair to confirm the stool was empty. "Besides, it wasn't _just_ the accent."

Something about the way he'd spoken, that faint hint of gravel in his voice. Caroline was pretty certain in bed, even with all those lean muscles on display, his voice would still be a distraction. And his hands…

But she was most curious about those tattoos, that hint of magic that clung to him. It was probably a good thing he was probably just passing through. A hot stranger with a lovely face and voice would be fun fantasy material, but reality rarely matched her imagination, and she'd be really disappointed if he'd tattooed his ex-girlfriend's name on his arm.

"But enough about me," Caroline murmured, pushing those thoughts aside. "My lack of love life is nothing new. What about you? I thought you'd agreed to tequila because of some mysterious ex-boyfriend from college moving into the area. A hot one."

Gia slumped forward to grab her shot, knocking it back with a groan. "I got a lovely little note, asking if I'd be interested in getting together for lunch. It was _very_ polite."

"I mean, polite isn't bad?" Caroline tried, brows arching.

"It's exceptionally unfair, when _I_ want to rip his pants off," Gia complained. Caroline almost snorted out her water, coughing heavily as she groped for a napkin. "It's ridiculous. I mean, we broke up amicably enough when he graduated. Stayed in touch, but there was the whole family drama after his brother died. I'm pretty sure he was engaged, at some point. Now he's _here_."

"Single?"

Gia pressed the palms over her eyes. "Very single."

"Doing what?" Caroline questioned, trying to crunch a cheese-soggy chip. "NOLA ain't London."

"He's some fancy pants divorce lawyer," Gia admitted, blowing out a breath. "Surprised the hell out of me. I mean, a more buttoned up man you will _not_ find. The one time he wore jeans they were ironed. I think he sometimes sleeps in his suits. But…"

Gia trailed off, cheeks flushing and Caroline grinned, knocking her foot against Gia's calf. "It's always the quiet ones, huh?"

"God, I miss good sex," Gia sighed, staring forlornly at the empty plate between them. "I think that's enough about either of our nonexistent love lives. Let's get more nachos, and you can give me all the gossip, like who's shop is moving in across from _Bloom_?"

"Whoever bought Matt out seems to be finished with the renovations. I tried snooping, but my view inside was annoyingly limited. What I _could_ see makes it seem like they've made some good changes. Opened the space, added a couple of rooms."

Thankfully, her shop gave her a great view of the comings and goings across the street. Caroline was giving them until that open sign switched over, then she was introducing herself. It was the neighborly thing to do, after all.

"Uh huh," Gia drawled. "And if you had to guess?"

Caroline grinned. "If I had to guess? Based on the layouts and the rumors? And maybe the construction worker I chatted up? Tattoo parlor, can't tell if it's strictly human or not. Be an odd place for it if it was all human, but weirder things have happened."

Gia snorted a laugh. "Oh, that's going to ruffle quite a number of feathers. A den of iniquity and sin, squashed next to such a lovely bookstore and the bakery? Maybe a human one? I can hear the complaints already."

Caroline shrugged as she caught the eye of a waitress and pointed to their empty plate, mouthing a thank you before turning back to Gia. "Should make things interesting for a few weeks, at least. Things have been too quiet lately, that always makes me nervous."

"Speaking of making things interesting," Gia said, tone lowering. "You know how it's been driving me _crazy_ for years that I've never met Marcel's secret financial backer? The mysterious _N.M_.?

"Yup," Caroline drawled. "One of your favorite mysteries. Did you finally dig up some gossip about him?"

Gia grinned and leaned forward, pitching her voice even lower. "Marcel had lunch with him yesterday. Disappointingly, neither Josh nor I were invited. But I was able to glen a few details, such as he's moved here for the foreseeable future, which means he can't hide forever. Marcel likes to think he's subtle, but he's not _that_ subtle."

Caroline's brows arched upwards. Marcel Gerard was Gia's boss and co-owner of _Rousseau's_ , a local Supernatural Bar. _The Firehouse_ had its cool tricks, but _Rousseau's_ made it look like child's play.

Gia bartended on the weekends, and acted as an assistant manager, filling in for Josh Rosza occasionally when Marcel wasn't around. Which made it very interesting that this co-owner hadn't been introduced now that he'd made an appearance. As far as as Caroline knew, the irregular hours and rotating duties fit Gia. Her friend liked to play electric violin few hours a week with a local band, and occasionally helped Bonnie out with her tea shop. Gia was a curious jack of all trades, and her schedule gave Caroline hives if she thought too much on it.

"I wonder why he moved here now?" Caroline said thoughtfully.

A nod, dark hair bouncing. "I think the de Martel situation is escalating. You know how Marcel feels about people cutting into his profit. Plus, there was an interesting rumor that a vampire was seen in town."

Caroline absorbed that with a frown. "Really? A vampire?"

Gia nodded. "Could be some muscle the de Martels hired to replace that ghoul that ended up as gator-bait in the swamp."

"Vampires mean demons, usually," Caroline pointed out. "Ghouls are less useful, unless you need to hide bodies. Not even the Gemini Coven had a vampire."

"I haven't heard anything suggesting a demon. Our previous experiences aside, demons usually keep to their own hierarchy, and New Orleans has too much ancestral magic for them to be comfortable here."

Caroline nodded in agreement. For the most part, New Orleans' supernatural politics remained fluid, but there were always power players. Marcel was one of them, for all that he was human. Ex-military, he'd settled into New Orleans a few years after Caroline, and set about turning it on its ear. Backed by his shadow investor, he seemed to have his fingers in every supernatural pie. But for all of his strongarm tactics, Marcel walked a very fine line and he did it well.

Once, he'd offered to buy out her loan. With strings, of course. Marcel was interested in her stock, expressed an interest that she'd keep part of it just for him. Caroline had turned him down. Not only because she didn't trust his brand of generosity, but because she'd worked hard to keep her independence.

Marcel had seemed to accept that, but Caroline knew she was under observation. He liked to know who she was selling to and when. Unfortunately for him, between her and Bonnie's spell work, that was no easy task.

The de Martels were relatively new to New Orleans. Half siblings, Tristan perfectly human to Aurora's witchiness. But for all her power, Aurora had never been someone who Caroline had thought of as dangerous. She was too flighty, her vapid narcissism matched only by her brother's thirst for power.

"Well," Caroline murmured after the next plate of nachos were dropped off, swooping in for one heaped with toppings. "The next few weeks certainly don't sound boring."

Clinking her water glass to Caroline's, Gia grinned.

"Amen to that."

* * *

Caroline glared across the street, fingers tightly pinching the bridge of her nose. The brand new sign had been installed that morning, and it was far subtler than its predecessor, _Abstract Ink_ emblazoned across its front. Normally she'd have been counting down the minutes to when she could politely introduce herself. Instead, for the first time in years, she wished her powers included _fire_.

She couldn't even blame the tequila for this headache. The magical pulses that were emanating from _Abstract Ink_ were loud enough that normal humans could feel them. Nothing drove her crazier than shoddy warding, and she was seriously considering marching across the street and raising hell.

What on earth were they unpacking? Stolen Egyptian relics? Greek temple stones? It was a rare thing, for her to react badly to magic, particularly since proper warding wasn't difficult. If they didn't own chalk then she'd loan them some of hers, possibly by tossing it at their heads.

And her day had started so _well_.

Summer was hot and humid upon New Orleans, and while her sundress and sandals were a bit chilly inside her shop, trudging through air that she could practically swim through left Caroline dreading pants. Still, the cute dress had turned out to be a win when she'd bumped into the yummy werewolf firefighter who kept making eyes at her.

She'd taken his distraction with her cleavage that morning as a good sign and hoped it meant he'd actually make a move. Caroline had no problem initiating a first date, but werewolves could be tricky to read, and she'd prefer not to spark an accidental incident. Werewolves were hot but moody.

Cheerful, Caroline had opened _Bloom_ and set about filling her arrangement orders for that weekend. She'd noted the delivery truck when it'd arrived, but hadn't been able to snoop properly. June weddings weren't just a human tradition, and she'd had enough orders that she'd seriously considered hiring another set of hands to get her through the wedding season.

She was hesitant as some of her plants could be considered volatile at best and terrible at worst. Caroline had inherited more than just a green thumb from her mom's side of the family, and generally, the plants she sold were harmless, pretty indulgences. She sold herbs to the tea shops and created pretty bouquets, and she kept her crawling ivy from actually _crawling_.

Owning her own business at twenty had been hard, figuring out how to wiggle out every possible profit even more so. But it'd been exactly the kind of challenge she'd needed to work through the grief of her mom's death. Her mom's life insurance policy and the profit from selling her childhood home had left her just enough capital after paying off her mom's medical bills that she'd managed not to go under her first year. The community college business classes she'd taken had proven to be exceptionally helpful.

But it hadn't been until she started her side business that she'd started to make a decent profit. Caroline wasn't the only witch in New Orleans who dealt in plants, not by far, but she _was_ the best at cultivating the rare and exotic. The greenhouse in her backyard was heavily warded, and a steady source of income.

Another pulse from across the street had her teeth clenching. Most of the more tempestuous plants were kept in her greenhouse at home, but there were a few in the shop who were _not_ reacting well. Not to mention the throbbing of _her_ headache.

Glancing at the clock, she grabbed her keys and headed for the door. She'd justify an early lunch, but first, she had neighbors to yell at. A tattoo parlor in the middle of the witch quarter could have meant any number of things, but right then it wouldn't take snooping to realize someone was setting up a warding shop; not with the light show behind her eyes. That could be useful, in a city like New Orleans.

If they _survived_ long enough to open.

Fingers curling into a fist, fully prepared to bang on the door until it was opened, she deflated a bit when it pushed open underneath her hand instead. Setting her teeth, Caroline scanned for someone to yell at as she barged in. She caught a brief glimpse of dark hair disappearing in the back, but was distracted by the way her shields were immediately walloped by the strength of the unwarded tools laid out on the counter. Her headache steamrolled straight into a vicious migraine and she clamped a hand over her mouth as her stomach twisted.

"We're not open," a clipped voice said, the aggravation vaguely familiar. Caroline took a slow breath, eyes darting to where the voice came from. She had a moment to stare in disbelief at the hot guy from the bar, before her stomach heaved and she frantically looked around for a trashcan. He cursed, footsteps loud against concrete flooring, and then a receptacle was slammed in front of her.

Just in time for Caroline to heave up what was left of her breakfast.

Shuddering, embarrassment and rage a terrible knot in her chest, she tried to get her breathing under control once she'd stopped gagging. Long fingers pressed against the base of her spine as her new neighbor crouched next to her. She squeezed her eyes shut, her face burning in embarrassment.

"Can you make it to my office?" His voice was a low rumble, and if she hadn't been so mortified, Caroline might have appreciated that. Instead, she just nodded carefully. His hands were steady as he ushered her forward, and a moment later she stepped past the wards around his office, and the worst of the pressure eased.

"I wasn't expecting company today," he said mildly as he nudged her into a chair. "Would you like some water?"

Stomach rolling, she'd cracked open her aching eyes and glared. He'd crouched down, so that they were nearly eye to eye. There was a faint streak of dust across one cheekbone, and the t-shirt he was wearing was paint streaked and a little damp across his abs. His curls were a riotous mess, and how he managed to look this good after a clear morning of hard work was beyond her.

Straightening her spine, her palm pressed flat against her stomach, Caroline glared at him. "Your wards _suck_."

Both of his brows crawled towards his hairline, and those pretty eyes narrowed, his head tilting. Caroline caught an intriguing splash of color just below his collarbone as his shirt shifted, necklaces rustling. "Do they? And do you usually go charging into unsuspecting stores, to inform people of such?"

Lifting a hand, Caroline jabbed a finger towards the room they'd come from. "Whatever you have in there is giving off enough noise to have a disco party, and it's _awful_. You're scaring my plants."

"I'm…" his head tilted, gaze narrowed. Those intriguing sparks flickered across his gaze again, lightening the blue with tiny bursts of yellow. "You own the flower shop across the street."

Caroline pressed her lips together at the sudden interest. She took another deep breath, wincing as she squinted through her pulsating eyeballs. "Look, my plants have just gotten over the shock of all the construction. And clearly this room is warded fine, so I'd _really_ appreciate it if you could stop turning _my_ street into a magical rave."

For a moment, he simply watched her, head tilted. Caroline wasn't certain to make of his expression, the faint glimmer behind his eyes, before he stood. If she hadn't been so rattled, that little flare of heat would've intrigued her. As it stood, she was just annoyed.

Instead of addressing her demand, he walked over to a mini fridge she hadn't noticed. A moment later, and he set a bottle of water on the desk near her. He tilted his chin towards the door, brow arching.

"Give me a moment, love. Drink the water, it'll help. Small sips." Caroline wanted to growl at the drawl in his voice, which he must have seen, and his mouth quirked. But he was right, so she uncapped the bottle as he shut the door behind him.

She took careful mouthfuls as she studied what would clearly be an office. Sturdy desk and boring chairs, there was a filing cabinet and collection of boxes that might be documentation. But it was the half dozen pieces of art that had already been hung on the wall that caught her interest.

The colors were striking, and she wondered if they held any particular significance. Worrying her lip, she glanced at the desk and forced herself not to snoop. Closing her eyes, she tried to let the quiet ease her headache as she waited for her neighbor to return.

She wasn't certain how long he was gone, but when she blinked her eyes open again he was shutting the door behind him. Chalk dusted across his knuckles, a streak of it stark against the black of his jeans. The edges of his lips curled as he looked at her, she was treated to a pair of dimples.

"It appears there was some miscommunication regarding the level of warding required to contain a few pieces. I've temporarily shielded them, and once we've rearranged a few spaces, those wards will be permanent."

Something about the edge to his tone made Caroline wonder what he considered a _miscommunication_. Finishing off her water, she capped the bottle and nodded. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for the…"

She waved her free hand, grimacing as she felt her cheeks heat.

"Not necessary, love. It's not the first time I've seen that reaction to magical energy. "

Caroline stood, dropping the now empty bottle into a clean trash can. "Still. Not exactly a great impression."

"Ah, but it isn't our first," he murmured. "And I haven't even introduced myself."

Glancing at him beneath her lashes, Caroline considered the way he watched her. That surprising glint of interest he'd made no attempt to hide. His gaze remained steady, unblinking, and she bit her lower lip.

"I suppose you haven't."

Smiling slowly, he offered his hand, "Klaus Mikaelson."

The last name rang a bell, something familiar that she couldn't quite place. Promising herself to call Gia or Bonnie, she reached out and settled her palm against his. She swallowed at the buzz of his skin against her own, that lick of heat. "Caroline Forbes."

"Caroline," he repeated, the sound of her name on his tongue sending a shiver down her spine. "Can I take you to lunch? An apology, for the rudeness this morning."

It was a tempting offer, but she glanced at her watch and winced as she realized how much time had elapsed. Pulling her hand free, and briefly pressing it to her stomach, she shook her head. "Thanks, but I really don't want food right now."

His gaze narrowed as his eyes slid across her face. "Would you accept a ride home?"

"That's not necessary," she dismissed. "Nothing is wrong that some ginger or peppermint tea won't eventually fix, now that you've _proper_ wards up. As long as you continue to keep whatever magical energy you have in here to yourself, it'll be fine."

A hint of amusement flickered across his gaze, and his eyes skimmed her face, lingering on her mouth. Caroline swallowed at the sudden static shift in the air, before a loud bang shattered the silence, followed by a yelp. Mouth tightening, Klaus stepped back.

"It appears my attention is required elsewhere."

Caroline let him open his office door and usher her to the front of the shop. "More miscommunications?"

"Younger siblings," he said with a sigh as she stepped into the street. "Do try to eat something, love."

She scowled at him as he shut the door, her gaze narrowed at the smile he didn't attempt to hide as he turned away. Huffing, she turned to cross the street, but paused when she caught the faintest hint of sulphur. Frowning, she took a deep breath, brows bunching when she didn't smell it again. It could've been nothing, sulphur wasn't entirely uncommon in the witch quarter, but it _was_ always jarring.

Sulphur could be anything from bad eggs to a demonic presence. After her conversation with Gia about vampires, she found herself wondering. Glancing back over her shoulder, she studied the door of Abstract Ink before blowing out a breath. She had bouquets to put together, and bridezillas waited for no one. That puzzle would still be there tomorrow.

* * *

Klaus watched his intriguing neighbor cross the street, the afternoon sunshine bright against her hair, the lovely length of her legs bared by her skirt. Caroline Forbes. He took a slow breath, breathing in the lingering scent of her perfume, and the heady smell of her skin. Witch descent, but there was something more, a hint of sweetness that was decidedly not human.

She'd been spirited and biting at the bar, a pretty distraction from the annoyances that had left his already uneven temper black. He'd brushed aside her ability to see the markings on his skin as a quirk of her obvious witch heritage and her tipsy state. But now, he wasn't so certain.

The tools that Klaus had left Caroline to ward had been an older set of Kol's, the first he'd owned. Kol kept them now as an odd keepsake, a reminder of the past. But it wasn't Kol's power that lingered along the handles, that stained the sharp points, but the remains of dozens of blood bindings.

Klaus found himself curious. Witches weren't particularly aware of his magic, especially when it was in a dormant state. The possibility that Caroline was sensitive to raw magic was intriguing. He wondered what her reaction would be to his magic in its pure form.

"Tasty little witch," Kol said as he stepped into the front room. "You get a feel for her magic?"

"Not as much as I'd have liked," Klaus murmured. "Find out what Marcel knows about her."

Kol snapped a sloppy salute and then headed back to the room he was working on. Klaus gave himself one more moment to study her storefront. The pleasing arrangements in the window, the flowers that grew around her door. Pretty to look at and inviting, _Bloom_ was made all the more fascinating now that he knew it's owner had secrets.

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Klaus turned and strode towards the back room, an area that had been mostly left untouched by the construction work. Around the doorway shimmered runes that were naked to the human eye, a flicker of the power he was allowed the manifest in this realm.

But inside was his territory.

It was fortunate he'd taken the time to draw the wards for this room himself. Pretty Caroline would have reacted quite differently if she'd unexpectedly brushed against this kind of power. And while he'd no intention of hiding his presence in New Orleans for much longer, there was no need to alarm her just yet.

Others were less fortunate.

Klaus stepped through the doorway, and he could _feel_ the way his humanity sloughed off like an old skin. Kol had once described the change as freaky. Humans, even witches and the occasional vampire found the subtle shift of bone and muscle, the dramatic yellow of his eyes, to be alarming. Others reacted differently. Aroused, terrified, the chaotic fight or flight response mingled with an almost hypnotic need to touch. It had been those tangled reactions that had helped garner Chaos Demons their name.

Thankfully for humans, his kind rarely bothered to slip between worlds.

Esther had been cunning for a witch, had attempted to twist her bargain until she'd nearly wrung it dry. Klaus didn't particularly mourn her death, not when she'd left behind so many siblings that anchored him so firmly to the realm that he'd been born on. It was his greatest amusement that Esther and Mikael had thought such blood bonds would weaken Klaus' power, make him more malleable. But Ansel had been no fool, and Esther had forgotten that while demons were trapped by the same bargains that gave them such endless power, they were far more clever.

And in the ruins of his mother's ambitions, Klaus had built the foundations of his kingdom.

But no kingdom ran smoothly. It was unfortunate, for those who chose to betray him that Klaus preferred to bind the letter of his bargains with ink and flesh. "I'd apologize for the delay in my return, but the company was delightful. I'm sure you understand."

Lucien didn't respond, but Klaus hadn't expected one. Lucien Castle was both clever and smart, two traits that rarely went together. He'd always been amused by that resourcefulness when Lucien attempted to bargain. Klaus had been impressed, with his attention to detail, how he'd carefully closed the loopholes that most human minds missed. He hadn't closed them all of course, but enough that perhaps he'd finally felt safe enough to move against Klaus' family.

That would be a mistake that Lucien would not recover from.

Lucien sat on a chair that was visually deceptive, the smooth wood modest in its design. Simple lines, until you came to the arm rests. Smoldering veins were wrapped around his guests forearms, holding him still. Not that he could have moved far. When Klaus had commissioned the chair, he'd instructed it to be carved from a single block of wood. So the smooth, wooden spikes protruding from Lucien's palms were nearly unbreakable.

"As much as I've enjoyed your suffering," Klaus said serenely as he took his own seat, his chair for more comfortable than the other. "You'll have noticed those little runes have been growing brighter, the more you've bled."

Lucien swallowed harshly, face pale and slick with sweat. "I haven't betrayed you."

Klaus arched both brows, his smile the curve of a blade. "Perhaps, perhaps not. But Freya is still missing, Lucien. I don't have to explain why that's a problem for you?"

A shiver ran across Lucien's skin as the tattoo's inked along his forearms flared brightly into being. There were other ways to wind his bargains into human flesh and bone, but Klaus had found he enjoyed this particular method. It was a bit of a family talent. Klaus enjoyed the artistry, of making such ugly sins into something beautiful, that one day some poor fool might admire. Because tattooing his bargain was a permanent reminder that the human hadn't always been their own master.

Of course, anyone with demonic blood could see a powered rune, but mere human eyes rarely glimpsed the spelled ink. Lucien jerked as he realized his promise was on display, and Klaus smiled as he breathed in fresh blood and pain.

"Freya is your blood," Lucien rasped into the growing silence. "You know I cannot betray her."

Klaus knew why such a thing was a bad idea, he'd written it onto Lucian's skin. His affection for his family ranged depending on their usefulness, but he'd never forgotten that when given the opportunity, Freya had attempted to protect him. An older sister from an earlier, failed bargain, Freya had been a constant reminder to Esther that she could fail; much the way Klaus had inadvertently reminded Mikael of his wife's infidelities.

It's was why, when he'd tossed Finn into his own personal hell, he'd offered his older sister a choice. Him, or the burning remains of his parents. He'd no reason to believe she'd chosen to betray him all these years later.

Klaus crossed his ankles, posture deceptively casual as he spoke. "Are you aware, Lucien, that Freya has a certain fondness for you? You could live to regret that, should you be an instrument in her disappearance."

Lucien's next words were raw. "I love her."

Klaus arched a brow at that statement, amused by the shock that ran across Lucien's face. "Ah, I failed to mention the purpose of those runes, didn't I? You'll find it is impossible to lie to me. You're welcome to try, of course, but I'm told the agony of it isn't worth the attempt. The longer you sit in the chair and bleed, the stronger the compulsion becomes. You've been my guest for what now, four? Five hours?"

"I don't know," he said, gaze darting around.

"How rude of me, perhaps I should bring in a clock? Regardless, there are of course many means of gathering information, but torture can be so unreliable. And I find I quite enjoy this one; I'm told having your will stripped from you, the horror of any part of your soul I wish to explore laid bare can be quite the torment. A few previous occupants spent years with waking nightmares. One poor soul cut off her arm once our bargain was complete. She'd apparently kept dreaming that her tattoos were holding her down and strangling her."

Sweat beaded along Lucien's temples, and slid slowly down his face. "I didn't betray you or Freya. I've been trying to find her."

"Have you? How interesting. See, Lucien, what concerns me is that you consider yourself a kingmaker," Klaus said mildly. "A good one, but that _is_ why you came to me to bargain. The gift of a silver tongue, was it not? The charisma, the affluence of a king? What was the charming name of your corporation? Kingmaker Land Development, Inc., wasn't it? Some might believe you're position to be a bit problematic, don't you think, now that the true power has located here?"

"I build them up," Lucien ground out, the cords of his neck drawn tight. "So that I can take it all away."

"Now that I believe," Klaus said thoughtfully, fingers folding across his abdomen. "Avarice is far more predictable than other human inclinations. Particularly the emotional ones. But perhaps we should start there, hmm?"

A fine shudder went down Lucien's spine, his face tightening as he moved his hands. Klaus smiled, letting the sharp points of his fangs just start to show. The fear in the room thickened, the desperation, and Klaus breathed it in like perfume.

"Tell me about my sister, Lucien. Don't feel like you should leave anything out, including those pesky little emotional attachments you've seemed to have developed. And perhaps if I like your answers, _I_ won't feel the inclination to spend additional time with you. This is hell, after all, and while torture can be quite intimate, I've yet to decide just how personal this hell will become."

Lips bloodless, Lucien did as he was told.

* * *

 _ **Please Comment**_

A big thank you to Melissa, Steph, Shy and Colleen for all their help in getting this story correct. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Happy birthday Laine.

* * *

There were very few things that Caroline enjoyed more than a morning lie in. Sunday's were her allotted lazy days, and she'd stay sprawled in her sheets well past dawn. No inventory to count, no bridezillas to face down and no strange neighbors that left her itching for answers.

Which was why she was annoyed when the slow crawl of sunshine across her backyard met her barefoot and sweating in her greenhouse. It was her favorite way to collect and organize her thoughts, the sounds and smells of New Orleans blocked out by magic. Her backyard was a small slice of heaven, a slightly wild garden that had been protected by her family for generations. She could still remember the way her breath had caught, the first time she'd walked in the backyard. It had been wild, overgrown, and utterly perfect. She'd cultivated it since then, given it only the structure the garden needed to thrive.

But her greenhouse was her jewel, the place where she cultivated her magical plants. It was a deceptively pretty barrier between her plants and the human world. No matter what her state of mind, this was where she went to find peace.

This morning ground was soothing beneath her bare toes, but not even the quiet familiarity of her haven could banish the lingering dream that left her skin too tight and sweat damp. It left her frustrated that there was no slow unwinding of tension, that she couldn't concentrate on her plants. Not when her brain kept darting back to her hazy dream, the slide of callouses against her skin.

Rubbing her forehead, she sighed at the crawling ivy reaching for her fingers. It had really been too long since she'd had sex. One semi-hot dream shouldn't be enough to leave her irritable, even with the happy chatter of flowers in her ears.

The creaking sound as back gate opened and closed was loud in her otherwise quiet morning. Caroline lifted her head as the greenhouse door swung open, and raised her brows at the sight Gia made as she marched in.

"Didn't we cancel brunch? Bonnie is still in Mystic Falls," Caroline asked as her friends outfit registered and she had to bite her lip to stop her smile.

Gia had kicked off her shoes, per Caroline rules. Her long, dark hair was twisted into an unusual messy braid and her makeup looked like she'd slept in it. But what caught and held Caroline's attention was the wrinkled dress shirt tucked into a equally wrinkled pencil skirt.

"I feel like an idiot," Gia groaned, fingers nervously trying to smooth her skirt.

"Are you wearing a man's button up?" Caroline asked incredulously. "And is that your shade of lipstick on the collar?"

Gia scowled as she gave up and wiggled her skirt around until she could sit comfortably on a stool, arms crossed. She paused, glancing around the rows of trees and plants. "I always forget how nice it is in here."

"Gia!

She sighed. "I folded like a hot knife through butter. A little wine, some food, and the next thing I know, I'm missing half my shirt and halfway to an orgasm."

"I thought you were having lunch?" Caroline demanded, sitting back on her heels. "Did you seriously have restaurant sex during lunch? Because if so, I'm going to be really jealous."

Face pink, Gia tossed up her hands and sighed heavily. "We had to reschedule. There was some sort of family issue, per usual. One of his sisters. So he offered to cook dinner instead. I agreed, because why not? What could possibly go wrong with meeting a man I once thought I loved, in his fancy apartment, while he cooked dinner? I wish I was surprised I jumped his bones. I just can't believe he let me."

Caroline snorted out a laugh, picking her spade back up as she worked on repotting a wiggling ivy. "Gia, I'd have second thoughts about my sexuality if you flung yourself at me. Why wouldn't he go along with it?"

"He has never gone along with anything in his life," she muttered. She kicked the ground and stared up at the ceiling. "I snuck out."

"Bonnie will be so proud," Caroline drawled, voice shaking with suppressed laughter. "And relieved that she's not the only one with a day after story that involved sneaking out wearing someone else's clothes."

"Yeah well, it's not like you don't have a memorable escape or two as well, Care. Unlike Bonnie, at least I came home in my underwear. And I don't know why I panicked. It's not like I can avoid him." She pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning. "My first sex-escape, and it involved him. I wish I could stop blushing."

Caroline waved her hand. "Just wear something low cut next time you see him. He'll forgive you."

"Caroline!"

Grinning, Caroline patted the dirt smooth around the ivy, the worst of her mood evaporating. Carefully, she nudged vines away from her fingers as they attempted to curl around her knuckles. "Was the sex good?"

"Oh boy," Gia sighed. "Oh boy."

"Now you're just being mean," she complained.

Smile pleased, Gia shook herself and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "But that's not what I came over to talk to you about. Well, not all of the reason."

"You mean you didn't just swing by to humblebrag about the fact you banged your hot ex?"

Gia scowled, but she was fighting a laugh. "Shut up, Forbes. I planned on calling you last night, but obviously I was distracted. It looks like I'm finally going to get to meet the mysterious backer."

Caroline arched both brows, teasing smile fading. "Oh?"

"Marcel is having some sort of party next week, and it will have a bunch of the movers and shakers. Mysterious lunches, now a party? No way he won't be there. Marcel even invited the de Martels.

"That's interesting," Caroline said slowly. "I didn't think Marcel got along with them."

"They don't. Aurora is as crazy as a bag of cats, but she's got decent power. And Tristan doesn't like that Marcel is better than him. But they'll be invited, and there will be posturing. Wanna come?"

"Open house?"

"Invite only, but I can put you down as my plus one. I've been told I'm to mingle, not work."

"Not going to take your love bunny?"

Gia's glare narrowed and Caroline grinned at her. "Him? Hardly. He's a lawyer, Caroline. He'd want to network and I'd want to claw my eyes out in about half an hour, tops. At least you're good for snarky commentary."

"I'm touched," Caroline drawled. She dusted her hands and stood with a stretch. "I'd love to go. If only to see for myself who this mysterious figure is after all this time. Maybe he's cute."

Gia pursed her lips, brows drawn together. "I don't know, Caroline. I like Marcel, he's charming despite his ambition, but I've always found it a little odd that he's so good at maneuvering the supernatural when he's so… human."

"You think that has to do with whoever is bankrolling?"

"Let's hope not," Gia said uneasily before standing as well. "That kind of magic is dangerous. Particularly with everything else that's going on right now. Davina was discussing a couple of disappearances with Josh yesterday, but I haven't heard anything through the grapevine, have you?"

"No," Caroline said with a blink. "Humans?"

"Witches," Gia said reluctantly. "They clammed up when they realized I was there, which is odd. Davina usually lets me know when something weird is going on. We're not really friends, but witch's keep an eye out for each other."

"I'll swing by and ask Bon if she's heard anything," Caroline promised. "She and I might have lunch this week."

"Good, my shifts this week are long." Gia stretched and pinned Caroline was a sad face as they moved towards the door. "I'm hungry."

Eyes rolling, she shooed Gia outside. "I'll trade you food for a name."

"Seriously? Fine. Then I want French Toast."

Caroline snorted as she sealed the doors on the greenhouse, the magic cool and spiky against her fingertips. "Not even my last boyfriend got post-coital French Toast, and only one of us had fun last night. You better give me more than a name. A name, might I remind you, that I'll find out sooner or later."

"Calling Bonnie and asking her is cheating," Gia warned as they started towards the house.

Grinding to a halt in the middle of her backyard, Caroline stared at her in disbelief. "You told Bonnie before me?"

Gia shifted her weight, lips pressed tightly together before she sighed. "It wasn't my fault. She called just before I walked in, and you know how she can get. Who was I meeting, what was his name, did she need to worry?"

Caroline crossed her arms and glared. "She just happened to call?"

"She's been picking up some funky vibes from this area, didn't like what she was seeing while scrying." Gia pulled a face. "I was distracted, I don't really remember? She promised to fill us in when she got back. She probably hadn't called you because it's not really your kind of magic? I mean, after that whole Gemini Coven fiasco and the prison world, she's a smidge paranoid. Can you blame her?"

Caroline pressed her lips tightly together, at the reminder of that particular disaster. The terror during the month and a half that Bonnie had been missing still woke her up some nights, skin cold and clammy. But it would be a long time, if ever, before the Gemini Coven recovered.

Locking Bonnie in a prison world had been a stupid move, and she hoped the ones she hadn't personally killed had suffered. She didn't regret a single body she'd fed to her garden. Caroline took no particular pleasure in killing. But Kai had been demon-touched, and she couldn't allow his demon a chance to come at them.

"Kai is very dead," Caroline said firmly, glancing over to a cluster of rose bushes that were swaying in the slight breeze. "In another year, we can dig up his bones, grind them with grave dirt and salt. He won't be coming back."

"You buried him with the roses? Could you be more cliche?"

Caroline shrugged and headed back towards her backdoor. Most of his Coven were buried on Bennett property, their graves markers the sage Caroline had planted. But Kai she'd wanted close after Bonnie had punched her way free of the prison world and flattened him.

"My roses were hungry."

"I'm sure they were," Gia muttered, shaking her head in exasperation. "And if I must, his name is Elijah Mikaelson."

"Mikaelson," Caroline asked, brows arching as she pushed her door open. "Really?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You said he had family problems? Does he have a pair of brothers?"

Gia nodded slowly, brow arched. "Yeah. Couple younger. I've only met the one sister though, I think there are two? Why?"

"You won't believe who owns the tattoo shop," Caroline drawled as they stepped inside the house. "It seems like more than one Mikaelson has decided to make NOLA their new home. Come on, I'll fill you in on the gossip while I cook, but then I want details. The kind that make Bonnie blush."

"That'll depend on what kind of gossip you've got, Forbes."

"You should know better than to make that kind of challenge," Caroline retorted as she opened her fridge. "For that, you can cut the fruit. Don't make a mess all over my countertop."

Gia shook head head. "If I must."

"You must."

Arms folding as Caroline assembled ingredients, Gia sighed. "Oh, and in case I didn't mention it, it's cocktail attire for the party. Show off those legs of yours; it'll give me something pretty to look at."

Caroline snorted as she took a carton of strawberries over to the sink. "Does this Elijah know he's got competition for your affection?"

Gia laughed. "I'm only lusting after your legs, not the rest of you."

Shaking the strawberries to remove excess water, Caroline sighed. "That does seem to be a theme in my life."

Accepting the bowl and cutting board, Gia shook her head. "I doubt that'll last forever. Now, you've promised me gossip. What ya got?"

Huffing as she unearthed her electric skillet, Caroline told Gia about her Friday afternoon, not bothering to gloss over the details as she cooked. Gia listened intently, and when Caroline finally handed her a plate of French toast, she pursed her lips as she set about smothering everything in maple syrup and butter.

"Interesting," she said slowly. "I wonder what they've got warded in their shop that could cause that kind of reaction? Particularly since your magic is… different."

"I don't know. But I'd like to find out," Caroline muttered, side-eyeing Gia intently.

Gia froze with her fork partway to her mouth, eyes narrowed. "Caroline…"

"Yes?"

"What happened last night was a one time thing. I'm not going to jump Elijah's bones again, much less pump him for information just because you're curious."

"You're curious too. You just said so."

"No."

Waving the spatula, Caroline widened her eyes. "I'm not suggesting you meet with him just to ask him questions. I'm just saying if the opportunity arises then you should take it, to dig. Just a smidge."

Gia scowled. "What even makes you think he'll be in touch."

Caroline flipped her breakfast and snorted. "You jumped his bones so hard he slept through your escape, and you stole his shirt. You think he usually sleeps in suites, I bet he's got his shirts numbered. He'll definitely notice if one is missing. And you're seriously awesome. If this Elijah has any sense whatsoever, he'll be back. Unless, of course, you don't want him to be. Then I'll sweet talk those irises guarding your front door into biting him if he shows up."

Mouth opening and closing sharply, Gia finally scowled. "I hate it when you make sense when I'm trying to avoid something."

Caroline smiled brightly at her, and nudged over the fruit. "Thanks Gia, you're the best. And if it doesn't work out, introduce us and I'll pump him for information. See if he's distracted by my boobs, get a feel for what he feels about you. It'd be fun."

Gia shoveled in another mouthful and glared.

* * *

She gave Bonnie two days to call her once she'd gotten back from their hometown, fully braced for her friends surly attitude. Caroline didn't blame her for her temper. Mystic Falls was filled with bad memories. Abby's disappearance still stung, and Bonnie's dad had died weeks after one of their close high school friends had been killed in a car wreck. Now, Grams had decided to stop extending her life; no amount of begging had budged the older Bennett.

Caroline could be patient, when it was necessary. She just rarely felt the need. But for all that Caroline had plied Gia full of French toast and strawberries, she'd remained fairly tight lipped about details. Bonnie probably wasn't deliberately avoiding her, though Caroline hadn't bothered to be subtle in her texts to meet up.

While Gia said she couldn't call Bonnie, she hadn't forbidden her from pestering her in person. It was a tactic both were well used too, and neither bothered to do more than make token complaints anymore.

Plus, Caroline needed a distraction.

For all that the Abstract Ink was set to open in a week, she was no closer to figuring out what was going on than before. It was a constant source of aggravation, to see that sign and be reminded that she hadn't heard a shred of a rumor about the Mikaelson's or their business.

Something continued to scratch at her instincts, she just couldn't explain what. Not When there were so many unanswered questions. Why had an entire family relocated? What did Klaus ward that had been so violently unhappy?Who was the tattoo artist?

Gia had called it her libido and hung up when Caroline had called to gripe, and she hadn't appreciated it. Yes, she might have eyed Klaus as he came and went, those long sleeved Henleys were a good look, after all; and sure, Klaus might have featured in a fantasy or two...

Or five.

She liked the idea of those long fingered hands moving across skin as he drew lines of ink. The memory of how'd they'd felt against her skin was distracting. That strange intensity and flickers of magic behind his gaze intrigued her even as it fascinated her libido. But there was only so much fantasizing a girl could do with her vibrator, and since her love life was seriously lacking and her friend was having scandalous sex, she wanted the details.

Bonnie couldn't run forever.

Caroline pushed through the door to Tempest in a Teacup, the little tea shop Bonnie owned. She sold loose leaf tea for the normal human from the hours of eleven to four, but it was her after hour business that brought in the real money. Private appointments, where she sold some of Caroline's temperamental plants or order made spells and trinkets.

Sometimes, Bonnie did an occasional seance. Humans were willing to pay under the table cash and Bonnie had perfected her witch-face. Today, the shop should have been quiet. So she scowled and hesitated inside the door, lips pursed as she realized Bonnie was talking to a customer.

A boy, customer. Huffing, she'd considered heading over to grab some of her favorite peach tea while she waited, but paused when she caught Bonnie's expression. Tight lipped, with narrowed eyes, and underneath the first hint of temper was wary uncertainty.

Intrigued, Caroline headed to the counter. All she could see of the man was his dark hair and nice shoulders, an arrogant stance. Bonnie's gaze slid to her as she approached, and the aggravation immediately shifted to something like resignation.

Caroline didn't like it. "Hey, Bon, am I interrupting?"

The man turned, and something about his jawline was oddly familiar, even though Caroline couldn't remember seeing his face before. Dark eyes spoke of a mischief Caroline suspected could be biting, and he grinned at her. "Caroline Forbes, isn't it?"

Caroline glanced at Bonnie, took in the slight shake of her head, and kept her tone polite. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

The stranger's smile widened. "Not much introduction necessary. You nearly upchucked on my brother's shoes. I suppose I should thank you for the excitement, it's been ages since a pretty girl didn't make eyes at him."

Her smile turned flat. "And would that make you the inept warder?"

Kol laughed. "Is that what Nik told you?"

"Nik?" Caroline repeated, not liking the knowing look on Kol's face. He was smugly sure of his superiority, and she detested it.

"Niklaus, goes by Klaus. My half brother," Kol shrugged, dragged his gaze down the skirt and flats she wore, mouth pursing in a disappointed little mou. "The other skirt showed off more of your legs, you should go back to it."

"That's enough," Bonnie said flatly as Caroline's eyes narrowed in warning. "I think it's time you left."

"Oh come now, darling. I just wanted to say hi. Make a good neighborly impression." Kol's tone turned sulky, smile curving into something slightly reckless. "Get to know the locals."

Bonnie's stare was unimpressed. "Did you? Well, insulting my friends doesn't help your case."

Kol placed a hand on his heart. "I'm hurt."

"Bonnie asked you to leave," Caroline interjected. She gave him her sweetest smile, tone bright. "You should go."

Those dark eyes slid in her direction, but instead of that dangerous mischief, there was a glint of something that raised the hairs on the back of Caroline's neck. Unexpectedly, he slid his hands into his pockets, and twisted on one heel, sauntering towards the door. "Think about what I said, Bonnie Bennett. You'll have to pick a side eventually."

The shop was silent for several moments, and Caroline stared in the direction Kol had disappeared, long past when he'd disappeared. "I don't like him."

"He's demon touched," Bonnie said wearily.

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked, finally turning to look at Bonnie. She was leaning against the counter, mouth drawn tight.

"He wasn't trying to hide it, when he walked in. If you were any other witch, you'd have smelled the sulphur."

Caroline pushed her hand through her bangs, sighing heavily. "I thought I caught a hint of it, the other day. Kol was in the shop."

Bonnie shook her head. "If you picked up on it, it probably meant a demon had been there recently. You've heard the rumor about a vampire?"

Caroline nodded, and shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Gia told me."

"Vampires always mean demons," Bonnie said wearily. "I just wish I knew what it wanted."

"What did Kol say? Does his demon want to claim New Orleans?"

Bonnie shook her head. "He was too busy making veiled threats and trying to look down my shirt to get to the point. But it's not hard to guess. Vampires, demon-touched, the disappearances? Someone is looking to establish themselves."

"True," Bonnie agreed. "Still, it doesn't hurt to be careful. Particularly since you've been growing stronger since the fight with the Gemini Coven."

Caroline chewed on her lip. "You noticed?"

Bonnie shook her head, eyes warming with amusement. "It's hard not to notice, Care. Did your grandma leave you any notes on your possible progression?"

"Nothing useful," she grumped. "I don't even remember meeting her. Mom didn't think very highly of magic, and it skipped her entirely. I don't think she thought it was possible I'd inherit it."

"Changeling magic is pretty rare," Bonnie said slowly. "And I've never heard of one so closely connected to the land. It might be why your family has outlasted so many generations, and why iron doesn't bother you. But be careful, Care. Like calls to like, and your magic is much closer to demon magic than human. Who knows what exposure to it will do long term."

"I wonder how much Gia knows about this," Caroline murmured slowly, brows drawn right. "Elijah is one of Kol's many brothers."

"Hard to say," Bonnie said finally, voice uneasy. "Demons really aren't inherently a threat, unless you're actively working against their interests. The power they can access on this plane is limited, unless they're fully anchored, and no mere bargain can do that."

"But…"

Bonnie nodded, resignation turning her eyes dark. "But if the Mikaelson family is involved with a demon, and she doesn't know about it, she's going to be pissed. Particularly with her and Elijah's history."

"And here I thought the exciting part of my lunch hour was going to be dragging out whatever salacious details you know about Gia's tryst."

Bonnie's cheeks turned pink. "Caroline!"

She waved Bonnie's outrage away. "Oh, you're off the hook. For now."

"Yay," Bonnie said sarcastically.

Caroline rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter. "Marcel is having a party tomorrow night. Gia thinks it might be for his shadowbacker."

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't like it. Not now."

Heaving out a sigh, Caroline agreed. "The Mikaelson's have moved to town, and at least one is demon touched. The de Martels have been on their best behavior, I haven't heard a single report of Aurora pitching a public temper tantrum in days. How sure are we that witches are disappearing?"

"There… yes, I think they are. Grams was upset about something, but she wouldn't really tell me. Then Matt reached out last week, asked if anyone had mentioned an uptick in missing girls. I hadn't heard anything, but some of the more transient witches aren't in their usual haunts."

"Another ghoul?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm not sure. Two ghouls in two years? Not sure that even we are that unlucky. The vampire would kill a ghoul on sight, regardless."

"What the hell do you think is going on?"

Bonnie rubbed her forehead. "I don't know. But our track record strongly suggests we're going to get pulled into it sooner or later."

Caroline wrinkled nose and straightened with a sigh. "You're right. Okay, new plan. I'm going to get a jump on this week's orders, just in case. And Thursday, after the party, you and Gia are coming to my house, and we'll brainstorm."

Nodding slowly, Bonnie gave her a troubled look. "Be careful, Caroline. Whatever is going on, demons are unpredictable. There is a chance that whatever is stirring up the trouble is just a demon settling into a new territory. But if someone is actively working against a demon…"

Caroline grimaced. "I'll be careful."

Bonnie gave her an exasperated look. Holding up her hand, Caroline schooled her face into a solemn expression. "Scouts honor."

"You were in a troop for one year!"

"Hey, it still counts! I earned those badges. It wasn't my fault that our troop leader was incapable of realizing my genius."

"You were thrown out for being too difficult, Caroline. We were in first grade."

"Her daughter was a such faker. It wasn't my fault, she was jealous that I'd earned more badges. She regretted it when I was Prom Queen and it her." Spinning on her heels, Caroline headed to the front door. "Stay out of trouble, Bennett."

"I'm not the problem!" Bonnie shouted as the door shut. Caroline waved over her shoulder as she started walking, flipping on her sunglasses as she moved into the afternoon sun. Kol Mikaelson might be a problem, but he was one she could keep eyes on. There were a few trees in the area, a couple of well tended box gardens other than her own. When plants were involved, a little magic went a long way.

Something Kol would find out, if he continued to threaten her friend.

* * *

"I still don't understand why you need this much space if you're determined to live alone."

Klaus glanced up from the sketch he'd been fiddling with. He hadn't been surprised by the shape of the face he'd found himself drawing, the curve of her mouth, and the fire in her eyes. Caroline Forbes was a fascinating little puzzle, and it had amused him to feel her gaze following him this past week when he'd left his shop. What did she make of him, with her biting tongue and suspicious face?

Rebekah was unamused by his silence, brows arched and mouth pursed as she stared at him impatiently. Of all his siblings, Rebekah was possibly his favorite, for all that her irreverence pushed lines she'd be wise not to cross. Closing his sketchbook, Klaus smiled.

"Who says I intend to live alone?"

"Magic groupies don't count, and neither does your collection of sycophants."

"Don't be jealous, love. It doesn't become you."

"Jealous," Rebekah repeated in disgust as she strode to where he had a decanter and glasses. "Of this? Hardly."

Amused at her surely tone, Klaus shook his head. "Alone tonight, Bekah? That would certainly explain your mood."

Her glare could have cut glass. "I suggest you leave Enzo out of this."

Kol strolled into the room, tongue clucking. "Oh come now, sister. You cannot imagine we actually like your bloke? You run away to Rome and come back with a husband. Isn't it your brother's jobs to be suspicious? Particularly when we can't imagine the character of a man who'd want a strumpet like you?"

Smile poisonous, Rebekah arched one brow. "And you say I'm the jealous one. Still smarting that Enzo put you on your ass, brother?"

"Must you bicker?" Elijah said in exasperation as he joined them. "Stop antagonizing Rebekah, Kol."

Kol shook his head, and swiped Rebekah's drink. "For someone so recently laid, you certainly haven't relaxed. Did the beauticious Gia have so few charms?"

"Must you be crass?" Elijah sighed. "And I don't believe Gia concerns you."

"Kol," Klaus said firmly, interrupting his reply. "Enough. Now, is there a reason you've all invited yourself to my home, or shall I just start tossing you out?"

Rebekah sighed heavily, eyes suddenly serious. "Lucien's leads have led to nothing new."

"Which we've discussed," Klaus pointed out as he poured both he and Elijah two fingers of bourbon. "I have not forgotten that Freya is missing."

Elijah frowned. "It is unusual, that they have not demanded a ransom or attempted to contact us."

"Do you imagine it bodes poorly for her? Or should we be thankful that it suggests they haven't gotten what they want yet?" Kol questioned. "Particularly when there are whispers of more witches having disappeared. None with ties to ancestral magic. I wonder what the hope to accomplish?"

"They are playing is a long game," Klaus reminded him. "And I will make them suffer, just as long. Tomorrow night remains our best chance of ferreting out a clue as to who orchestrated Freya's disappearance."

"Are we still pretending the de Martels aren't behind it?" Rebekah questioned, voice sharp.

Kol glanced at Elijah, arched a brow. "You could prob your witch."

"Gia will know as little as Marcel," Elijah dismissed.

"Now, that isn't quite true."

Klaus turned and arched a brow. "How so?"

"I had a little run in with the Bennett witch today. She's a sharp tongued little thing. Doesn't appear to have much interest in the de Martels," Kol said cheerfully. "Young, but strong. We might be able to use her."

Rebekah snorted. "Ran into her, did you?"

Kol ignored her sarcasm. "That bird you've got eyes for was there too, Nik. Seems the leggy Miss Forbes is friends with the Bennett. And we already know her connection to Gia. A bit interesting, don't you think?"

Elijah frowned, straightening his cuffs as he visibly thought. "Gia is a talented witch, but she doesn't have the power that Tristian or Aurora would be interested in using. And neither does Miss Forbes."

Klaus considered Kol's sly point. His brother's laughing gaze suggested that Kol had guessed, or at least suspected, part of Klaus' interest in Caroline. But after the disaster with Katerina, he'd hold his tongue. "Gia will be at the party tomorrow, Elijah. Plan on attending. I'll be sure that Marcel adds you to his list."

A curt nod.

Rebekah wrinkled her nose. "Did you still want Enzo to attend?"

"Aurora knows your face, Bekah, but your new husband you've been keeping to yourself?" Klaus shrugged at her irritation. "A wedding band isn't likely to dissuade Aurora, but if you don't trust him…"

"Enzo doesn't have the capacity for that kind of betrayal," Rebekah said coolly. "But I'll want a few hours with her trapped in your hellscape, should she so much lay a finger on what she knows is mine."

"Of course."

Satisfied, Rebekah settled onto the couch. "Tricking a Bennett witch into a bargain won't be an easy task, Kol."

His smile widened and he set his empty glass down, hands sliding into his pockets. "Leave that to me."

She shrugged. "It's your funeral."

"And as fascinating as this tête-à-tête is, I am needed elsewhere," Kol strolled away, voice echoing down the hallway. "Do let me know if you'd be interested in some real fun, Elijah."

Elijah shook his his head in disapproval. "I left a list of clients who'd perhaps be interested in a bit of supernatural assistance in their divorces. Let me know if any pique your interest."

"Of course," Klaus murmured. "Was that all?"

"For now."

"Elijah," Klaus said as Elijah turned away. "I'm willing to accept Marcel's word in regards to Gia. I know that you were close to her before, but I will not tolerate betrayal."

"I believe Katerina was quite the lesson in what you'll tolerate, brother," Elijah replied without turning. "I have not forgotten my promise."

The silence after he left was cutting.

"You'll lose him if you keep that up." Rebekah chided. "Elijah is too noble to believe himself capable of betrayal, but if he believes it will save you, he'll do it all the same."

Klaus handed her the glass Elijah had not taken, settled across from her with an amused smile. "As you say, Elijah is too noble to abandon his family."

Rebekah shook her head, taking a slow sip. "Always and Forever doesn't mean the same for humanity as it does for your kind. Even witches."

"And that is why I rarely lose," Klaus arched both brows at her. "We will find Freya, Bekah."

Her chin lifted, disdain curling her lips. "She is a fool for getting taken in such a manner. I cannot fathom what use a second-rate witch could offer."

"A question you can put to Marcel's little friend."

"Davina?" Rebekah repeated, surprise clear on her face. "What could she possibly know?"

"It appears that those who have survived the Harvest Ritual are given a certain amount of respect within the local community. She may know more than she's told even Marcel."

"I'll speak to her," Rebekah said finally.

"Excellent. Now, care to tell me why are you truly here, Rebekah?"

"Boredom, and I heard a rumor. One that Kol so casually confirmed. Tell me, Nik, what's so special about a mere hedgewitch?"

"Caroline Forbes is my interest, Rebekah. Stay out of it."

Blue eyes narrowed. "Is that an order?"

"Does it need to be?" Klaus asked. "I may adore you, love, but while your husband is made of sterner stuff than most humans, it merely lengthens the time I can spend with him before he breaks."

"He is not bound to you," she snapped, spine straightening, color high.

"But you are, dear sister. You are."

Rebekah drained her glass and pushed to her feet. "Caroline Forbes might be your current hunt, but she's no fool. She'll never give you want you want. And like Kol, you may find you've bitten off more than you can chew." She glared at him, eyes flashing and color high. "I will not forgive you, if you use him against me. Enzo is not a weapon you can put to my throat. I am not our mother, to betray you."

Klaus listened to her footsteps clack against his floors as she whirled out. He stretched his legs to a more comfortable position, gaze narrowed. His sister's tantrum didn't overly bother him. His siblings thought they understood where they stood with him, and he continued to allow it. Chess pieces, that moved along in predictable patterns. Rarely, did they surprise him, and he doubted that would change as their lives lengthened. He continued to plan for all contingencies of course, but as long as they were loyal, he'd allow their small fallacies.

Caroline Forbes, however, had managed to surprise him twice.

The report that Marcel had delivered had been filled with personal observations. He'd been amused to learn she was from Mystic Falls, that her closest friends included a Bennett witch. But Marcel had been unable to breach her inner circle, even with her strong friendship with Gia. He'd been unable to find the leverage necessary to pull her into his growing empire, and his admiration and frustration was reflected in his short notes.

Klaus couldn't wait to peel back her secrets, to taste them on his tongue. He'd longed to tempt her with numerous sins, which would she choose to indulge with him? Everyone had a price, and he looked forward to fulfilling hers, to brand her skin with the permanency of his mark.

Reaching over, Klaus picked up his sketchbook and studied the angle of Caroline's eyes. The light spray of freckles across her nose weren't quite right. Disappointed, he flipped to a new sheet to try again.

* * *

 _ **Please Comment**_


	3. Chapter 3

Rousseau's was packed.

The bar had been transformed from its usual witchy decor, and it was beautiful. Brightly colored false-fairy lights, old pieces of artwork that had an ancient air, and the bar was a mixture of caldrons and high end alcohol. The potted flowers brought in were new, with no secrets to tell, but they were _happy_.

Witches and werewolves filled booths and crowded along the bars, mingling throughout both levels. The noise should have been a cacophony of sound, particularly with Josh in charge of the music, but the low murmur of voices and sharp clack of heels were easily discernible. No doubt Davina's work. Caroline wondered how many werewolves were spread among the crowd, their sharp ears memorizing the polite conversations.

Gia's suspicion that tonight was less party and more a strategic gathering appeared to be spot on. The bar felt like an invisible chessboard with its assembled pieces and careful maneuvering. She just didn't know who was king. Her gaze skimmed along the crowd, picking out familiar faces with a slight frown as she impatiently waited for her drink order.

Aiden was moving as quick as he could manage behind the bar, but even the way her dress showed off her figure wouldn't help Caroline tonight. Aiden was immune to boobs, too busy sneaking quick glances at his DJ boyfriend to notice. Wrinkling her nose, she reached into her clutch to grab her phone when a low, smooth voice interrupted her.

"Miss Forbes, I wasn't expecting your presence tonight."

"Gia invited me," she said serenely, turning to smile at Marcel. "You've outdone yourself. The place is lovely."

Marcel returned her smile, affable and charming as always, the cut of his suit perfection. "I wouldn't have thought tonight would interest you."

From anyone else, she might have been insulted. But it was easy to be charmed by Marcel, his handsome face and easy manner appealing. And usually, she found his attempts to cultivate her for his empire amusing. It helped that he'd developed a knack for speaking plainly without rancor, but Caroline had always wondered about him. She'd never quite managed to put her finger on what exactly bothered her, but it was why she had sidestepped a number of casual invitations.

"It _is_ quite the crowd you have here tonight," she murmured as Aiden put her drinks down. She dropped his tip on the bar and smiled her thanks before turning back to Marcel. "I'm impressed."

Marcel tipped his head, lips curved. "Quite the compliment."

Laughing softly, Caroline brushed a loose curl back, but was interrupted when the bar doors were pushed open dramatically. Her brows arched at such a fashionably late entrance, and then her breath caught in her throat. Klaus in his work clothes was tantalizing; Klaus in a perfectly fitted suit, dark blonde curls tamed was _delicious_.

His open collar showed off a hint of the familiar chords of a black rosary, and the parted fabric just managed to hide the splash of color she knew was there. Caroline took a long sip of her drink, hoping to cool the sudden heat in her veins.

"Have you met the Mikaelsons, Caroline?"

She winced as she realized her reaction hadn't been at all subtle. Glancing back at Marcel, she found him watching her intently. " _Abstract Ink_ is across the street from Bloom, Marcel."

It was unlike Marcel to forget such a detail, and she watched perturbed as his shoulders loosened. There was something about his expression, a hint of unease he tried to tuck away behind white teeth and dimples, that scratched at her instincts. Tipping her head towards the door, she kept her tone and smile polite.

"How do you know them?"

"Old friends," Marcel said simply. "Friends I should greet. I hope you enjoy your evening, Caroline."

"Thank you."

For a moment Caroline watched him walk away, lip caught between her teeth. As much as her curiosity burned to discover the exact connection between Marcel and Klaus, Marcel had said Mikaelsons, _plural_. She hadn't seen Kol, so if Elijah was here, Gia would need the drink Caroline was holding. Taking one last lingering glance at Klaus as the crowd shifted between them, she blew out a breath and headed to find her friend.

Slipping through the crowd, she paused and nearly groaned when she realized that Gia had been cornered. Not by the ever mysterious Elijah, but by a petite, scowling redhead. Hair twisted into an elaborate coif, her dress floor length and sweeping, Aurora stood out in the crowd. Rolling her eyes at Gia's silent plea as their eyes met, she forced a polite smile as she walked over.

"Aurora, I like that color," Caroline said politely as she nodded to the dark green of her gown. "It's lovely."

Aurora turned, her lips pursed as if she'd smelled something foul. It wasn't an attractive or unfamiliar expression on the petite witch. "Caroline. I wasn't aware you'd rated an invitation. Your magic is a bit... _mundane_ for this group."

"She's with me," Gia said as she accepted her drink, tipping it back heavily.

One red brow arched. "I suppose that makes more sense. Are you still... _selling_ those flowers of yours?"

Caroline kept her smile. "Of course."

Aurora wrinkled her nose before turning back to Gia, clearly dismissing Caroline. "Be a dear, Gia. Do think about our offer. It could be quite lucrative."

Gia gave her a flat smile which Aurora either ignored or misinterpreted. She beamed in return before flouncing off, dress flaring out behind her. Caroline watched her go before rolling her eyes at Gia. "That looked fun."

"That woman is a troll," Gia muttered very softly under her breath. She shook her glass, lips compressed. "You should have brought me three of these."

Caroline offered what was left of hers and Gia snatched it. "What did she want?"

"Some nonsense about being friendly, getting to know each other. She and her brother want an in with Marcel, and they've decided I'm it."

"Poor baby," Caroline said with faux-sympathy.

Gia's gaze was withering as she lifted Caroline's drink to her mouth. "At least she considers _your_ magic too low class to bother with. You don't have to deal with her."

"Lucky me," Caroline laughed. She nudged Gia, voice dipping low. "You'll want to slow down."

" _Why_ would I want to do that?"

"Klaus is here," Caroline all but whispered. "And he showed up with another tall, dark haired man that Marcel referenced as 'the Mikaelsons.' Plural."

Gia stood frozen, face paling before turning a deep red. "No."

"'Fraid so."

Mouth opening and closing, Gia shoved both glasses at Caroline. "Take these."

"Where could you possibly go?" Caroline asked incredulously. "He'll notice you leaving."

"There is a window in the bathroom I can escape through. I'll meet you at Cafe du Monde in half an hour."

Caroline stared at her. "You must be joking."

Gia's shook her head. "Nope. I'll buy you half a dozen beignets. Don't tell Marcel."

" _Gia_ …"

"I'll owe you one," she whispered before taking off.

A little bewildered, Caroline stood there gaping as she watched Gia disappear into the crowd. Pulling herself together, she handed off the empty glasses and slowly shook her head in growing amusement. She really did need to meet this Elijah if he'd rattled the usually impervious Gia so badly that she was crawling out bathroom windows. Maybe she'd send him flowers as a thank you for shaking up Gia's usual routine.

Catching her lip with her teeth, she fished out her phone and considered the time. Gia would need at least ten minutes to make her escape, and while the walk to the ever delicious Cafe du Monde was short, those heels would slow Gia down. If Caroline gave her friend forty-five minutes, she could show up just as the beignets were arriving.

Deciding she had enough time to get another drink and mingle, to do some covert eavesdropping of her own, Caroline turned and headed back to the bar. She was forced to wrap around towards the back to avoid most of the crush, and paused to seriously consider trying the bar upstairs. The bar was packed, and a little breathing room wouldn't be a bad thing.

Biting her lip, she glanced around to try to pick out familiar faces, see if a friend or two could offer some insight into tonight. Caroline didn't bother denying to herself that she was partly hoping to run into Klaus, she wanted to see his eyes as he took in her dress. But the familiar tousled curls were nowhere to be seen, and she sighed a little in disappointment.

An unfamiliar, British accent caught her attention just as she started to move back into the crowd, and she paused. Rising on her toes, she peered into the packed bodies, wondering if the allusive Elijah was about. Gia would probably forgive her if she introduced herself.

She wasn't expecting the shove that came from behind her as someone laughed loudly and staggered on tipsy heels. Caroline stumbled with a curse, attempted to catch herself. Instead of hitting the wall, she slammed into a warm body. She caught a whiff of expensive cologne as a pair of firm hands steadied her. "All right there, Gorgeous?"

Huffing in annoyance and embarrassment, she straightened and glanced up. Dark hair and eyes, amused smile, and British accent or not, she doubted this was Elijah. This one gave off an air of mischief, a sense of fun. Not how she'd pictured from the buttoned up Elijah.

His brows tucked together in growing concern at her silence, and he shifted his hands from her shoulders to her forearms. "Did you hurt something?"

Her lips parted to answer, but the sudden and unexpected smell of grave magic and sulphur threatened to overpower her. She inhaled sharply, choking on an unexplainable sense of claustrophobia. The walls threatened to close in, throats closing as her airways clogged, and her knees turned to water as the handsome face in front of her wavered

It felt like she was being buried alive.

She barely registered the way his long fingers tightened on her arms, and the world _whooshed_. Shuddering, she reached blindingly for those poisonous hands and tried to push him off. His magic was pounding against her own, pulling her under, and she couldn't fight it off as long as he continued to touch her.

"You've got to ride it out," she heard distantly, the air suddenly hot and muggy against her skin. The sudden shock of the soles of her feet pressed into warm earth helped her next gasped breath. She curled her bare toes down into the soil firmly, attempting to ground herself against the memory of this man's death. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found the vampire holding her steady, face concerned.

"Better?"

Caroline sucked in another breath, and coughed it out. It felt like her lungs were full of grit, and for a moment, the world swam painfully. She almost didn't recognize her voice when she finally spoke. "Where you buried alive?"

"More than once," he said easily, as if the nightmare of it wasn't pressed against her skin, clogging her lungs. "Tell me what kind of flowers I should buy my wife."

Caroline inhaled deeply and croaked her disbelief. "What?"

"She hates roses," the vampire continued, as if she wasn't struggling for air. As if each heavy cough didn't rattle her teeth. "I consider myself to be an educated man, but flowers escape me. Bekah likes pretty things. I gave her lilies once, she nearly turned me into a frog."

She stared at him in disbelief, lungs heaving, and realized his words were anchoring her. By forcing her to think, he was offering her an escape from the memory of his death.

"Peonies," Caroline said shakily when she could manage it, shuddering out the words as the worst of the grave magic became easier to bear. "Gladiolus and Alstroemerias."

His fingers fell away from her skin then, hands slipping inside his pockets. It did nothing to leash the deadly potential of him, but it gave him an affable look she thought was deliberate. "Big words. Are they pretty?"

"Yes," she said. Another deep breath, and she pressed her hand to her sternum, breathed again when she didn't cough. Blinking her watery eyes clear, she studied him from narrowed eyes. "Vampires are rare."

His smile was slow and dimpled, something playful behind his gaze. "So are your kind."

There was nothing condescending in his tone, and Caroline realized with a jolt he knew exactly what hedgewitch _meant_. Understood that her family magic descended from a source decidedly not human. Yet, he'd dragged her outside, let her magic grow accustomed to the feel of him. Helped her keep from drowning as she fought the memory of his death. "How did you know to ask me about flowers?"

"My first wife was a changeling," Enzo said easily, for all that shadows lingered behind his eyes.

Caroline blinked. She'd never met anyone who had known a changeling that wasn't part of her family, and questions burned on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she offered her hand. "Caroline."

His hand enclosed hers, and this time, while she could feel the magic that had formed him, it was just another flavor and not the assault from before. Vampire magic was created when a human died before completing their contract with a demon. Most humans became ghouls, eternally hungry for human flesh, but a small percentage of humans had a different reaction.

"I'm Enzo. You're a brave little thing, aren't you?"

Caroline released his hand with a shrug. "You didn't have to help me."

"Circumstances have taught me quite a bit about vampires and fae." Enzo said. "I have a promise or two to keep."

There was something in his tone, an edge, which told Caroline that whatever had happened, it'd been bad. She didn't push.

"How old are you?" She asked instead. "I've met vampires before, and it was nothing like _that_."

"Ah, not as old as you'd imagine, but not as young as I could be." Enzo shrugged. "My making was unusual."

Caroline blinked, brows bunching as she studied him. Vampires were always unusual in their making. Opening her mouth, she paused when something brushed against her leg. Looking down sharply, Caroline groaned when she realized she was standing in someone's flower bed. Hastily, she stepped onto the sidewalk, wincing.

"Oh no."

Enzo arched both brows. "Is there a problem?"

Grimacing, she bent to dust her feet free of soil. Mentally, she sternly told the flower to stay put, and ignored its pout. "Only if they try to follow me home."

A slow blink, and a hint of a smile as he glanced at the flower bed. "Does that happen often?"

Caroline scowled at him. "Not nearly as much as it used to."

Enzo laughed, dimples flashing. "I'd like to see that."

She was tempted to ask him why he _hadn't_ , if he'd married one of her kind. Instead, Caroline glanced around and frowned. "Where did I lose my shoes?"

Before Enzo could formulate a response, the air around them changed. Already hot, the humidity burned away, leaving behind a dry heat Caroline had never felt before. She twisted around, fingers curling around Enzo's arm protectively as she took in the man walking towards them.

He'd shed his suit jacket somewhere, his white dress shirt bright in street lights. The blue of his eyes were ringed in yellow, and her breath hitched at the way heat twisted off him in bands she could almost _see_. The hard line of his jaw was fascinating as he strode towards them, his temper written clearly on his face.

"She's fine, mate," Enzo said in an affable tone. "Just a little excitement."

Those hot, hot eyes flickered in her direction, and Caroline's mouth ran dry as she realized what she was looking at. Gaze narrowing, she shook her head in disbelief. " _You're_ the demon."

Klaus stopped walking when he was close enough to touch. His eyes landed where she was holding onto Enzo, and she tightened her fingers reflexively. His mouth tightened, but his gaze returned to hers. "I am."

"Really? That's it? And after my lovely morning at your shop." She kept her voice even with effort, refusing to flinch as his gaze grew brighter.

Enzo laughed. "Is that what happened? Kol was quite delighted."

"Tell me, Caroline," Klaus questioned as he ignored Enzo. "Does your head hurt now?"

She opened her mouth, and then closed it. It was clear he'd manifested some form of his magic. She could feel it, the pressure of a building storm and the heat of a desert summer. But nothing that felt wrong. No sulphur. No throbbing behind her eyes. Instead, there was a low, lazy heat that was familiar and unexpected. Nearly swallowing her tongue in surprise, Caroline hissed, and tried not to clench her thighs.

"You made your point," she ground out as he just watched her. When his face didn't as much as twitch, she glared. "Seriously? Stop it."

His eyes narrowed, gaze suddenly sparking, and his chest moved as he took a deep breath. The sudden interest in his gaze mingled with calculation, and her cheeks went pink. But the feel of his power suddenly cut off and she felt like she'd been doused in ice even in the lingering heat.

Relief was heady, and she released Enzo to cross her arms, breasts heavy and nipples tight. "Thank you."

"You shouldn't thank demons, Gorgeous," Enzo chided as he stepped away from her. "They get ideas."

Klaus shot him a look Caroline couldn't decipher. "I believe you have a job to do."

"Only because my wife asked it of me," Enzo said easily. "It was lovely to meet you, Caroline. I'll come by to chat about those flowers."

"Hopefully during _normal_ business hours," she said firmly, ignoring the byplay between the two men. Enzo flashed another of those smiles and disappeared, moving too fast for her to follow. She unfolded her arms with a sigh, glancing warily at Klaus.

He angled his head, lips curling in a slow, wicked smile. "Nervous, love?"

Her gaze narrowed. "No. I have no bargain with you to be used against me, and I'm hardly helpless. Besides, by your own words, I believe you currently owe _me_."

Klaus laughed softly, hands clasped behind his back. Those sparks of gold hadn't faded from his gaze, dimples on full and devastating display. "So I do."

"Then you can _start_ by explaining last week," she said firmly. "When you told me there had been a miscommunication regarding some ward levels…"

"The truth," he assured her. "Perhaps not the entire story, but I was honest with you."

"I'm not sure we have the same definition of honesty," Caroline muttered. "Demons aren't particularly known for it."

"I think you'll find they're closer than you'd imagine," Klaus said simply. "I am what I am, Caroline. Words have an intrinsic value among my kind, and I do not offer them lightly. Is it not the same for your people?"

"My people, are human. But my family? How long have you known what my magic is?" She asked tartly.

"It took me longer than it should have." His gaze flickered across her face, lingered on her lips. "I admit, I was distracted."

She rolled her eyes, refusing to blush. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Why not?" Klaus asked. "Fascinating magical heritage aside, you're lovely and clever. Should I not admire those traits?"

"Demons," Caroline told him flatly. "Are only interested in what they can use."

"Known many demons, love?"

"Enough," she replied, thinking of Kai, what he'd worn beneath his skin. Klaus' eyes darkened, iron crawling behind his gaze. She met that gaze with her own suspicion. "Why haven't you tried to coerce a bargain?"

"Why?" He repeated, head tilting. The band of yellow around his gaze widened, until it swallowed the blue entirely. Heat rippled across the darkness of his pupil, and a hint of magic skimmed along her skin, leaving goosebumps even in the muggy evening air. "A bargain would ensure your loyalty, would allow me to tattoo your promise to me onto your flesh. But it would still only be a temporary measure. One day, perhaps you'd walk away."

"I'm not interested in your power," Caroline said flatly.

There was nothing amused about his smile, just a bladed _want_ that left her shivering. "Everyone has a price, Caroline."

"Interesting, that you think you can meet mine." She angled her chin, let her power close to the surface. "As you've pointed out, _I'm_ not entirely human."

Klaus shifted forward, eliminating the space between them, and caught her wrist. She jolted at the contact of his skin against hers. His thumb brushed a slow caress against the blue ink of her swallow, and she bit her lip. "No? Perhaps not. But I've obsessed over this fetching tattoo of yours since I first saw it. Do you know what it means?"

"No," Caroline drawled, sarcasm heavy in her tone. "I picked it because it was pretty."

Klaus looked more amused by her bite than offended. He brought her wrist to his mouth, lips brushing feather light across her skin with each word he spoke. "Familial love and loyalty, a hardship survived. A swallow is a bird that chooses a mate for life."

For a moment, her wrist felt hot, like static electricity buzzing against her skin. She tugged her arm free, heart thudding against her ribs. Licking dry lips, she shook her head. "None of that is your concern."

His hands slipped into the pockets of his dress slacks, tongue snaking across his mouth as if chasing her taste. "Should I not be fascinated by the stories you choose to wear? Or is it the possibility that I'll root out their true meaning that concerns you? I've lied in bed these past nights and wondered, Caroline, what other secrets are you hiding so cleverly against your skin?"

Caroline planted her buzzing hand against her hip. "You hardly know me, and I'm hardly the only one with secrets."

"Do you want my secrets, Caroline?" His brows arched, interest and intrigue clear on his face. "What will you offer for them?"

"What I want," she said firmly as her phone buzzed in her clutch. "Are my _shoes_."

She shouldn't be tempted by the curve of his mouth, the danger of his dimples. She shouldn't be attracted to him at all, much less find his mix of arrogance and charm amusing. But getting her body and emotions on board was proving to be difficult. Particularly when he smiled like that, as if she'd continued to delight him with her mean.

To her surprise, Klaus glanced around with her, looking for her shoes. She cursed under her breath when they didn't appear, they must have fallen off in the bar. His gaze was full of laughing mischief as he twisted his hand and a pair of heels materialized into his palm. Her gaze slammed back into his, and he offered them to her.

"As you said," he murmured. "I owe you."

She took the heels that weren't hers without comment. She ignored his offered arm to balance herself as she slipped them on. "I'd say thank you, but I've been told that's a bad idea."

"Let me take you to dinner."

Caroline blinked at the cajoling offer, lips parting in surprise. "What?"

Klaus delicately pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Dinner. Later this week, if you wish."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"No?" He stepped away with a small smile that turned wicked. "I'll have work on that, then."

"Another one of your bargains?" Caroline asked darkly.

"For you? No. Consider it a promise. Enjoy your night, Caroline." He let his gaze skim deliberately down the line of her torso, and her cheeks heated at the open appreciation he didn't bother hiding. "I'm sure I'll see you soon."

She watched him walk back into the bar, lips pressed tightly together. She was annoyed and still a touch aroused, and Caroline found herself wondering what exactly Klaus thought would pique her interest. Huffing out a breath, she located her phone and then stared at the text message from Gia in disbelief.

"Un-fricking-believable," she breathed. Not only had Gia not made her glorious escape, nor procured the proper number of beignets, but Caroline was being dumped. Her friend's quick texted apology at being discovered in her escape left Caroline huffing. Typing out a warning text, Gia couldn't avoid her forever, she smashed the send button with a scowl.

Annoyed, Caroline was thankful that she'd driven herself instead of hitching a ride. Wiggling her toes in her new evil shoes, she looked down and had to admit they were pretty damn comfortable. Saying a quick prayer that they weren't formed from the souls of babies, she headed in the direction she'd parked.

Bonnie was never going to believe any of this.

* * *

"For a shop run by a demon, it's been pretty quiet."

Caroline adjusted the bouquet she was working on and scowled at Bonnie. Her friend had shown up with her lunch and parked herself on a stool to eat her sandwich, eyes narrowed as she stared at the front door. Caroline had her called her from the car to fill her friend in, had talked strategy until the wee hours of the morning.

She'd arrived at work to discover that _Abstract Ink_ was doing a soft opening. The grand event scheduled for next Monday, and she itched to go take a look. She'd watched a handful of people move in and out of the doors, and it grated against her curiosity that she was stuck in her shop.

Caroline wasn't sure she was ready to face Klaus. Not after last night, the way the memory of his magic had lingered against her skin. The horror of relieving Enzo's death as a human had been washed away by lingering heat and gleaming eyes. She didn't know how to feel about it.

"It's not like they have an army of the undead crawling around over there, Bon. Someone would have noticed." Caroline finally pointed out with a sigh.

Bonnie snorted as she munched on a chip. "That's what you think. For all you know, Mikaelson could have a portal to his favorite hell built right into the foundation of that place. Next thing we know, an army of ghouls will be charging out of his shop."

"Jeez, thanks. How comforting."

Twisting around on her stool, Bonnie sighed and shook the chip bag at Caroline. Lips pursed, she finally caved and accepted the jalapeño flavored apology. Bonnie watched her eat it with narrowed eyes, gaze thoughtful.

"You do know that he really does probably have a portal over there, right?" Bonnie said carefully. "However he is making bargain, they're more powerful if they aren't written on earth."

She grimaced, "Yeah. I know."

Bonnie nodded. "Has Gia gotten back to you?"

Caroline shook her head. "She's totally avoiding me. First she falsely promised me beignets, and then I assume she spent the night with Elijah, _again_. Which I can't blame her for, if he's a good as she says. I'm just offended that she didn't bother introducing us first."

Bonnie tried to muffle her sudden laugh, failed. Her voice shook when she spoke. "It's kind of funny."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline tied off the flowers and put them back into their refrigerated case. "Why are you here again?"

Bonnie glanced upwards and then shrugged, twiddling with half her sandwich. "I don't think your demon is involved with the kidnappings."

Caroline spluttered. "He's not _my_ anything."

Bonnie winced and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry, I should have phrased that differently. But my point holds. The timing doesn't fit for the disappearances."

Arms folded across her chest, Caroline frowned. "Do we know that for sure?"

Nodding, Bonnie scowled. "Yes, and it's annoying, because it puts us squarely back at zero. Whatever drew them the demon here, it wasn't until after the first witches body had been dumped that he made an appearance."

"He has minions?" Caroline glanced over, brows bunched. "How do you know about when the first bodies were dumped? Matt found bodies?"

"Grams found what we think is the first." Bonnie waved her hands, face twisting into a dark frown. "I'd like to give the demon a swift, magical kick to the balls and toss him on his ass, but this whole venture doesn't seem like his style. He doesn't have a motive. Why kill people when you can just bind them?"

"They might have said no," Caroline pointed out. She didn't believe it, none of her instincts pointed to Klaus, but she'd been wrong before.

"Maybe. But then why demonic tattoo parlor?"

Grimacing, Caroline stole another chip and stared grumpily across the street. She had an idea, and she wasn't certain how she felt about it. It was diabolically genius to tattoo what was basically the TOS for every bargain onto his victim's skin. A constant, nearly permanent reminder that they were owned. The possessiveness of such a deal, the arrogance, should have turned her off big time.

Instead, she'd woken before dawn, her body throbbing after an _intense_ dream. One filled with lingering lips and the catch of callouses against her skin, the hot swipe of a tongue against her nipples. It was the second time a dream recently had driven her out of her bed before dawn, unsatisfied and flushed.

She'd headed straight into her shower, knees unsteady as she'd stood under the cool water. She _could've_ blamed part of her reaction on the lingering effects of his magic, the arousal that hadn't quite abated when she'd crawled into bed. The way she'd stubbornly ignored the lingering heat of it between her thighs, gripping her pillow tightly to avoid the temptation of letting her hands roam, his name on her lips.

But that wouldn't quite be the truth, either.

Caroline had long since accepted that her non-human blood came with instincts she didn't quite understand. The fight with the Gemini Coven had shattered whatever notion she'd had that her power would leave her entirely human. It had never been clearer than her inexplicable need to have Kai's body close so she could _feel_ him as he rotted. Her rage had burned so hot that he'd been foolish enough to go after what was hers, still flared into hot sparks when she thought of it.

Those instincts had taken root and grown since then.

She wasn't frightened by Klaus, she was _fascinated_.

"Caroline?"

She shook herself and walked back around the counter. "I don't have a manual for demon behavior, Bon."

"But you _know_ something."

Caroline huffed, glanced out her door as a car pulled in. A gaggle of teenagers stumbled out, their voices loud and taunting as they went inside. "I have… suspicions."

"Based on?" Bonnie asked curiously.

She fidgeted, picking up a pen and tapping it against her counter. "He asked me out."

Bonnie wadded her chip bag and tossed it into a trash can. "Like, he wants a chance to sweet talk you into joining his army of minions?"

"Like a _date_." She crossed her arms at Bonnie's disbelieving gaze. "Actually, this might be the second time he's asked me out, but I'm pretty sure the first didn't count."

"Do demons date?" Bonnie asked incredulously. "Why would anyone _want_ to date a demon?"

Rolling her eyes, and ignoring Bonnie's questions, Caroline bulldozed through. "Anyway, during said… date asking, he made a few remarks that lead me to believe that he's using his tattoo shop to make bargains."

"I can't decide if that's… smart or ridiculous," Bonnie muttered. "Tattoos don't have the same prejudices that they once had but they're…"

"Permanent?" Caroline filled in. "Yeah, they mostly are."

Bonnie frowned as an SUV parked in front of the shop, and a thin, soccer mom type nervously stepped out. Even from this distance, Caroline could make out the ridiculous stickers that depicted a family and a dog on the back. They watched her walk inside, fingers clenched tightly against the strap of her purse.

"What did Gia say Elijah did, again?" Bonnie said slowly. "The brother who doesn't work directly for Klaus?"

Caroline chewed on her lip for a moment, thinking, before she groaned. "Divorce lawyer."

"You don't think…"

"I think desperate people make terrible deals all the time. It's their choice, Bonnie. Unless you want to put us against a demon of unknown power?"

"It's still disgusting," Bonnie muttered darkly. "Manipulating people when they are at their weakest."

"I know," Caroline said as pushed her hair away from her face. "But we both know the rules change when demons are involved."

Bonnie looked mutinous, and then her gaze turned calculating. "Let's go over there."

" _What_?"

"That woman wasn't the only one who went in there, Care. That first car was a bunch of kids." Bonnie dusted her hands with a stubborn expression. " _Kids_."

Caroline sighed but grabbed her keys. "You realize Kol is going to be there, right?"

Jaw set into a stubborn line, Bonnie shook her head. "He needs to be worried about _me_ , not the other way around."

"I know that," Caroline replied as they stepped outside. She turned and locked the shop, flipping the 'closed for lunch' sign into place. "You made that prison world your bitch."

Bonnie adjusted her purse on her shoulder, glanced down the street for traffic before striding across the road. "Then what's the concern?"

"I like my shop," Caroline said tartly as she reached for _Abstract Ink's_ door. "Don't blow it up."

She ignored the way Bonnie spluttered her name, and stepped inside. Her shoulders relaxed when there was no immediate assault on her shields. Instead, the shop was filled with good natured groaning and complaints as a short-haired brunette ushered the teens towards the door with an eye roll. Caroline and Bonnie stepped to the side, giving the teens a clear exit.

"And you can come back when you're eighteen. And have _proper_ I.D." She addressed the crowd, her bob bouncing against her chin. "Until then, _no_."

She waited until they'd filed out past Bonnie and Caroline, and through the door before sighing heavily. She faced them with a smile, exasperation clear on her face. "I'm sorry about that. I'm Rose-Marie, but everyone calls me Rose. Are you here for a consultation? I didn't think we had any additional appointments today."

Caroline smiled back, offering her hand. "Nope, I'm Caroline. I own the shop across the street. Thought I'd pop in, meet everyone."

Rose's smile brightened, but it was her half-sleeve that caught and held Caroline's attention. A glorious mix of water colors, the strategic lines and flowers were breathtaking. It took a moment for Caroline to see the ballerina that anchored the tattoo, her skirt one of the roses.

"Oh how lovely," Rose chirped. "The flower shop, right? Kol was telling me about it."

Bonnie gave Rose a considering look after she'd introduced herself. "That's a nice tattoo."

"Thank you," Rose said, hands fluttering as she turned and headed back behind the counter. "I haven't decided if I want to finish the sleeve yet or not, I'm a bit of a wimp. But Klaus does such beautiful work, I couldn't say no when he drew me this design."

"Klaus designed it?" Caroline asked as they followed her. She glanced about, her gaze lingering on the artwork and careful photos of past tattoos. There were a dozen or so books of tattoo designs, a few magazines Caroline didn't recognize. Underneath the glass cases that made up part of the counter was a collection of jewelry. A few pieces sparked in a way that promised the stones were spelled.

"He designs _all_ the tattoos. Kol handles most of the piercings, and he'll do touch-up work, but the clients are here for Klaus." She motioned to her arm with a tiny shrug. "Can you blame them?"

Caroline glanced back at the gorgeous simplicity of the design and had to admit that it was stunning. The colors drew the eye and the design held it. Even Bonnie looked impressed, and her friend's needle phobia was strong.

Meeting Bonnie's eyes, Caroline arched a brow and Bonnie sighed. Her tone was begrudging when she spoke, lips pursed. "The designs are very pretty."

"If you're interested in setting up a meeting, I can do that for you. We should have the website up soon, and a portfolio of his work will be online," Rose continued, oblivious to the byplay. "We've been booking up, but I can see what's available?"

"That's quite alright, Rose. Should Caroline be interested in a tattoo, I am available."

The unexpected drawl of Klaus' voice felt like a caress against her skin, and she refused to blush. Straightening, she turned to face him, and narrowed her eyes at the glitter in his gaze. He was dressed in one of his distracting Henley's, necklaces a tangle around his throat. The curve of his mouth reminded her of her dream from the night before, and her skin prickled.

She had to clear her throat before speaking, ignoring the darkening of his gaze. "Oh, that's not why we're here. Bonnie wanted to see the place, and I figured I might as well see what it looked like after you'd unpacked."

Rose's smile shifted to something wary. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you knew Klaus."

"It's alright. I'd come out to suggest you take your break, as it were," Klaus said affably, his gaze never wavering from Caroline's face. She scowled, and that only seemed to amuse him.

Rose swallowed and nodded. She grabbed her bag with unsteady fingers, breath harsh in her throat. Her smile was dim as she waved, the door closing with a bounce behind her. Caroline crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"Did you really have to scare her off like that?"

"A little fear keeps most mortals alive," Klaus said dismissively. He finally glanced over at Bonnie. "Ms. Bennett. I've heard much about you."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed. "Can't say the same."

A hint of a smirk touched his mouth before his gaze returned to Caroline. "Would you like a tour? A chance to see what you missed last time?"

She trusted that offer not at all. "As I said, Bonnie and I were just dropping by, she…"

Her words cut off as Bonnie's cell started to ring. Muttering, her friend pulled it out of her purse and frowned. "It's Matt. I should head back, find out what he wants."

Caroline chewed on her lip, wondering if the Mystic Falls Sheriff had found another body. But more importantly, Matt kept an eye on Grams for Bonnie. "Call me later?"

Bonnie gave her a grateful half smile, gaze narrowing for a moment on Klaus before nodding. "Will do."

The silence after the door shut was broken by Klaus. "Was that a no to the tour, sweetheart?"

She snorted, and turned back to face Klaus. He'd pushed away from the wall and moved closer, lips tugging up at the corners. "Yeah, I don't really want to accidentally stumble into a hellscape."

His smile turned wicked and Caroline held up her hand to cut him off. "Don't even. Bargaining requires access to magic you wouldn't easily have access to, particularly if you're tattooing the details into flesh."

"And here I'd thought I'd overheard you _admiring_ my work," Klaus drawled, gaze skimming across her bare skin. "I confess, I've spent time wondering what you'd allow me to draw along your body, and _where_."

She shook her head, exasperated. "Rose's tattoo was beautiful, but that doesn't mean it's not sinister. What does the ballerina signify, Klaus?"

"I do admire that about you, Caroline."

"What?"

"You're not just a pretty face," Klaus said as he pressed his hip against the counter. "And the details of our bargain are between Rose and I. Tell me, do you really care so much for human lives that the treatment of a complete stranger alarms you?"

Caroline planted a hand on her hip. " _I'm_ human."

A brow arched. "Perhaps you started that way, but your magic has its own price, Caroline. I think you'll find your humanity is a sacrificial lamb for your growing power."

"Is that what you think?"

"Changelings were created as weapons, sweetheart," Klaus said patiently. "The fae may have been driven back by cold iron and religion, but their influence still lingers. Earth is a prize long sought by outside realms, and the magic in your blood is like a seed, digging in roots and sprouting. Change is inevitable."

Caroline angled her chin, glared at him. "My _mother_ was human. My friends are human. Regardless of _your_ thoughts on the matter, I won't forget that."

"You'll find it not so easy to deny what you are."

"Shows what you know," she said tartly. "One doesn't exclude the other. I am what I am, and I'm not hiding from either side of it."

Klaus laughed, dimples cutting deep. Before he could speak, Kol stuck his head around the corner. "As fun as flirting with your hedgewitch seems to be, our current customer seems to find my charm to be unappealing. Probably how she ended up so unhappy in the first place."

Caroline shot him a flat look. "I'm not his anything."

Kol rolled his eyes. "If you say so, darling. Nik?"

"I'll be there in a moment."

"It's your bargain," Kol shrugged, before disappearing. Klaus clasped his hands behind his back and studied her, eyes gone dark with a lingering desire.

"Should you change your mind, sweetheart, I'd be delighted to create something for you. You'd make an exquisite canvas." His voice was low, and his tongue swiped across his lips before he turned and walked away. "Do think about accepting my invitation for dinner, love. These interruptions are quite unnecessary, don't you think?"

Caroline shivered, her cheeks warm. Catching her lip, she stared at the doorway he'd walked through, unwilling to admit that he was correct. She'd gripped her annoyance at Kol's appearance firmly, but it'd clearly leaked through. She wanted to brush it of as a reaction to his disregard to her humanity, but he wasn't wrong there either.

Whatever the fight with the Gemini Coven had unlocked in her was still growing. And the more time she spent around the temptation that was Klaus Mikaelson, the more she found she wanted to explore the magnetic attraction between them. Huffing at herself, she turned and headed outside to track down lunch before returning to her shop.

She had some thinking to do.

* * *

"I don't know how it would work," Caroline told the dahlia she was repotting. "He's a _demon_."

The sun had set, and the last of the evening sky was filled with faded colors. Usually she'd already have locked up and headed home, but she'd been unable to calm her thoughts after her conversation with Klaus. Determined to distract herself, she'd buried herself in work.

She gotten all of that day's orders placed, sent out several reminders, and ruthlessly set about organizing her inventory spreadsheet. She was as far ahead of her upcoming bouquet orders as possible, she didn't have a wedding to worry about until the following weekend, and the funeral flowers had been sent out hours before.

Nothing eased her frustrated attitude.

Her mood hadn't improved when Klaus left his shop hours earlier. He'd waved in her direction, wearing a devastating smile, before heading down the street, his posture relaxed as she'd ever seen it. She'd wanted to strangle him.

It'd seriously hadn't helped that it'd taken _effort_ not to follow him with her eyes as he'd disappeared.

"He enslaves people with pretty words and prettier tattoos." She blew out her breath as the flower turned towards her fingertips, waving slightly. Delicately caressing the lovely bloom, Caroline groaned. "And I'm being amazingly hypocritical, but why does he have to be so damn attractive?"

And that was the kicker. She could've managed it if it was _just_ sexual attraction. She was a healthy woman who had eyes, and if she looked at Klaus and thought about sex, that was to be expected. He could've seduced a lamp post. Spirits, if debauching him in his shop would've solved this itch, she'd have done it.

But she argued with him. She _enjoyed_ arguing with him. She found each verbal parry fun even as they frustrated her, and that was dangerous. Because she wanted to do it again. Rile him up until his eyes shaded gold and her lungs hitched as he invaded her space, just to see how far she could push.

Klaus made no apologies for what he was and she didn't know if she wanted one. The type of bargains he made with humans, power for service, didn't disgust her like they did Bonnie. They intrigued her. It seemed they both liked to keep their victims close. That Klaus made the poison he fed them _pretty_ , that he flaunted what he'd done, it left her wanting to dig beneath his skin to figure out _why_.

Caroline gave the flower one last friendly pat and crossed her arms and frowned. To do that, she needed to accept his offer for dinner. Sitting down with a thump, Caroline sighed. Lying to herself solved nothing. She _wanted_ to see what Klaus considered a date and she was itching to peel back those secrets he'd taunted her with the other night. The disappearing tattoos, bitable lips and fascinating hands just bundled those secrets up into a package she'd happily unwrap.

Glaring at a cacti, she dropped her head back and sighed. "I'm seriously going to do this? Date a demon?"

The silence was broken by the happy sounds that flowers made. Not quite as soft as butterfly wings, but it was no less bright inside of her head. Lips curving, her chin dropped into her palm and she sighed. "Dating is probably worse than bargaining. Bonnie is going to _kill_ me."

She thought it'd be worth it.

Caroline was pulled out of her thoughts by the bell ringing above her door. She stood up with a frown. She'd locked the door earlier when she'd flipped the sign to 'closed.' To her surprise, Aurora swept in with a man Caroline had never seen before.

"Aurora?" Caroline questioned, brows furrowed. "I'm closed."

"Oh, I know," the petite witch said as she stopped in front of Caroline. "I'm not here for _flowers_."

Her voice was full of derision, and alarm sang in Caroline head. The plants closest to her shivered in response, and blooms twisted around to face Aurora. "Then you can come back tomorrow."

Aurora ignored the plants around her, green eyes narrowed. "I'm honestly so disappointed in you, Caroline. Frolicking about with demons? Flirting with them? I'd have expected you to know better, particularly with _your_ secrets. But I suppose none of that will matter much longer. Lucien, be a dear."

Caroline took a step back, eyes narrowed as magic sparking along her palms. The plants around her moved towards Aurora, ivy streaking out, as Lucien flanked her. But Caroline had no chance to do more than push out her magic, before she realized Lucien wasn't the threat.

Aurora cupped her palms and blew a sticky-sweet powder into Caroline's face. She choked on her shocked inhale, and the world swam. She lost her grip on her spell, and staggered to the side. Desperately trying to clear her fuzzy vision, she coughed and fumbled along her shelves for anything she could use as a weapon.

"We can't let you do that," Lucien said gently from behind her, and his fingers locked around her wrists as her knees started to buckle. Lucien gave her no room to wiggle as he picked her up, holding her easily.

"Don't do this," Caroline rasped.

"Oh, Lucien is mine. He won't help you," Aurora said cheerfully near her ear. She tried to turn her face away as Aurora's fingers brushed her hair delicately away from her face, fingertips warm against Caroline's skin. Aurora made faux-soothing motions with her hand, petting Caroline's hair.

"Poor little changeling, took quite a lungful, didn't you? The magic makes it so you don't need to breathe it in, but it certainly helps. I'm told it feels like you're just... floating away."

"Bitch," Caroline managed through numb lips as she tried to focus on the way Aurora's image seemed to fracture into lights. Her limbs felt heavy, fingers clumsy as she pushed at Lucien, who cradled her as easily as if she was a child.

"We've been looking for something like you for such a long time," Aurora replied, delight mingled with an almost childlike frustration. "And you were _hiding_ from me. But I have you now. Here we go now, just a little more. It's much easier if you'd just surrender."

Another breath scattered the sweet powder across Caroline's face, and she crooned a low, soothing note. Caroline held her breath as long as she could, but everything went warm and hazy without her permission. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't grasp her magic to stop the way the spell dragged her under. Lashes too heavy to keep open, the world swayed, soft and warm as she lost her grip on consciousness.

"Don't worry," Aurora's voice soothed from far away, her fingertips soft against Caroline's cheek. "You'll be awake for all the fun. I promise. Sweet dreams."

Caroline sank beneath the darkness of her eyelids to the sounds of pleased laughter.

* * *

 _ **Please Comment**_


	4. Chapter 4

Caroline woke slowly, her mind fuzzy.

She'd been both high and drunk in her life. Her dad's abandonment had made her teenage years tempestuous, and her mom's work schedule had given her a lot of free time. Liz Forbes would have been horrified, had she known that her otherwise responsible daughter smuggled beer and pot into a hiding spot in the woods; she'd been too smart to bring it into the house. Bonnie had complained, but had eventually gone along with her plotting. Looking back, Caroline suspected her mom had definitely had suspicions, but Liz had never called her daughter on it.

But even that time when they'd gotten blitzed on champagne, she'd never woken with a hangover quite like this one. She felt weirdly disconnected and wide open at the same time, as if her natural shields had disappeared with the ownership of her body. Caroline clenched her fists and fought to gain control of herself, anger knotting in her chest.

"You get used to it," a female voice rasped. "Although it never stops feeling so terrible."

Caroline opened her eyes slowly, hesitant to expose her aching head to any light. The cement under her cheek was cold, and her hands were shackled, the chain attached to the floor barely a foot from her body. Beyond the chains there were odd chalk lines that she couldn't quite focus on, and she was relieved that the floor looked mostly clean.

Caroline took several careful breaths before slowly levering herself up. She blinked her fuzzy vision clear, her mouth ran bone dry when she realized she'd been chained in the middle of a power circle. Her eyes darted around, and her nails dug into the floor as she recognized the woman lying motionless directly across from her.

"Gia!"

"She'll be alright," that voice murmured, and Caroline twisted her head around to meet the eyes of a witch she'd never seen before. Her pretty face was thin and her cheekbones sharp; long, blonde hair tangled into a braid that clearly hadn't been washed in weeks. Her clothing was of good quality, but heavily soiled and hung loosely on her emaciated frame. But for all the obvious lack of care, her eyes were clear, and underneath a layer of curiosity was a banked fury that burned behind her gaze.

There was something strangely familiar about the witch's face, a lingering sense of deja vu that she couldn't quite grasp. Hoping it would come to her later, Caroline winced as she tried to shift into a more comfortable position. The room was chilly, the overhead lights too bright.

The witch nodded towards Gia, her voice hoarse as she spoke. "They need the three of us alive for the ceremony to work. Try not to touch the chalk, they've killed several witches to power the pentagram already. It hurts a fair bit if you try to move past it."

Caroline swallowed and settled her hands into her lap, wincing as the chains rattled. "Who are you? How long was I out?"

A hint of a smile, and she tiled her head. "I'm Freya. And a few hours, at most."

"Caroline," she returned, glancing around to study the room as her vision cleared. "How long have you been here?"

"Weeks," Freya said dismissively. "And I'm going to _enjoy_ making them regret it."

Caroline grimaced, remembering how easily she'd been captured. "I never suspected Aurora, and I feel like an idiot."

Freya shook her head. "No more an idiot than I or your friend. The ambush that captured me was clumsy, and should've failed. From the conversation I overheard between Aurora and Tristan, you're a changeling. You'd have been far more susceptible to the spell since its nature based, but I believe that Aurora mixed iron dust into your dosage. Tristan was furious with her."

"Why?"

"He's just a silly boy," Aurora sing-songed as she almost skipped in holding a dead orchid. She wore an elaborate braid and a light blue slip, but her face was bare of makeup. She set the potted plant carefully into the circle and pouted. "He was afraid I'd killed you or worse, made your magic impossible to access. But that's not true, is it? But I promised I'd test it."

Her smile was beatific as she waved her hand, chatting under her breath and the circle started to glow. Freya's jaw tensed, and Caroline understood why a moment later. It felt like her magic was being ripped from her body in painful gouges, invisible hooks raking beneath her skin. She bit her tongue bloody instead of screaming, nails bending against the concrete floor.

Aurora ignored her entirely, watching as the orchid came back to life with childlike fascination. She clapped excitedly as it slowly unfurled, the bloom a pretty shade of purple. She cut the spell with a gleeful wave of her hands, and Caroline shuddered.

"You really do have the most curious magic, Caroline," Aurora said with a happy sigh. "To think, I thought your flowers stupid. It's almost a pity that we'll have to kill you if you survive the banishment. I'd have liked to play with your magic more."

"Banishment?" Caroline croaked, swallowing past her painfully dry throat.

Aurora dismissed her question with a wave of her hand. "Oh, don't worry your pretty head about it. It will be over soon. Lucien should deliver our demands shortly, which means they'll try to mount a rescue operation. I'm so _excited_."

Picking up the pot again, Aurora swept out as quickly as she'd arrived. Caroline fisted her hands tightly, breathing harsh. She'd have almost expected to find body bloody when she looked down, but her skin was unbroken.

"I hate that bitch," Gia rasped suddenly from where she was slumped over. She tipped her head to the side and gave Caroline a weak smile. "Hello, Care. Sorry she got you too."

Caroline tried to return her smile, and failed. "When were you abducted?"

"I made it out the bathroom window, and Aurora came around the corner with a smile. I was expecting her to bring up the conversation from before, but instead she magically roofied me. Then I woke up here in this _charming_ abode."

"How'd she access your phone?" Caroline asked. "She texted me, pretending to be you. I didn't even know you were missing."

Gia grimaced. "Don't feel bad, Care. She wouldn't have needed my password, just my fingerprints. She probably read through my texts, wrote just enough that you wouldn't expect to hear from me."

Caroline scowled. "And what _does_ Aurora put into that powder of hers? Do you know?"

"From what I can guess?" Freya interrupted with a shrug. "Valerian, Poppy and Lavender. She used my magic to make it more potent, but it's still sloppy. A couple of the witches fought back, so she started increasing the doses. If she'd been smart, she'd have just magnified the Poopy, and everyone would have just melted at her feet."

Gia sighed. "I melted just fine, thanks. Brace yourself, Care. She'll dose us again, if she feels like things are taking too long."

"I don't think so," Freya said slowly. "Aurora needs us awake for the spell to work and the timetable is fairly unpredictable now."

"Why drug us at all?" Caroline questioned, rattling her chains. "We aren't going anywhere."

"The spell strips us of our shields," Gia said wearily. "As Aurora just displayed we can't use our magic, but she can."

Freya narrowed her eyes, mouth pressed into a tight line. "She created the circle as crude siphoning device. Aurora will need to drain us dry for her spell."

"I've seen witches who can siphon," Caroline said flatly. "This isn't anything like that."

Gia sat up slowly, grimacing. "Best I can tell is she needs three anchor points for whatever this is to work. Aren't we lucky? I just don't know what it is she's hoping to do. Banishment doesn't really tell us much and these aren't the runes for a prison world."

Caroline glanced around, and tried to understand the layout. "The symbols don't make any sense, regardless of what she's trying to do. She might have said banishment, but these symbols are for power…"

Freya shifted, spine popping as she arched her back with a grimace. "Aurora is a hack. She doesn't have the power to take on my brother without stealing it. She's been using me as a battery for weeks."

"Your brother?" Gia asked slowly.

"I'm quite certain my family has been looking for me," Freya said, gaze glittering. "Her ambush left quite a mess. Pissing my family off was a stupid move. I'm not likely to forgive this, and neither are they."

Caroline licked her dry lips as she studied Freya's face again. The shape of her jaw wasn't quite right, nor was her mouth, but she had Kol's nose. She wondered if when Freya smiled, there were dimples. "You're a Mikaelson."

Freya arched a brow. "Acquainted with my siblings, are you?"

Gia groaned heavily, head dropping into her shackled hands. Caroline rolled her eyes at the dramatics and shifted uncomfortably on the concrete. "I've met them."

Freya's brows furrowed as she glanced at Gia, clearly reassessing the witch. "And you?"

Pink cheeks and expression unhappy, Gia sighed. "I dated your brother once."

One brow arched. "Kol doesn't seem your type."

Caroline choked on her laugh, struggling to hold it in as Gia grimaced. Freya glanced at her, a hint of a smile curling along her mouth. "Not Kol?"

"She dated Elijah," Caroline supplied helpfully. "Although she's super secretive about it."

Freya blinked. "You dated…"

Gia crossed her arms. "At least _I_ didn't throw up on _Klaus_."

"Brat," Caroline growled without heat.

"Troll," Gia shot back.

Freya managed to look amused and intrigued. "We aren't going anywhere, and anyone listening in will be dead before nightfall if they _have_ sent demands to Klaus. Why don't you start at the beginning with exactly how you both are involved in this? Neither of you appeared surprised that Aurora had been abducting and killing witches."

Reluctantly, Caroline filled her in from the last few weeks with Gia chiming in occasionally. Caroline did her best to gloss over the more personal parts, and she ignored Gia's gasp when she told Freya that she knew the demon. From the way Freya watched her, she'd picked up on the undertones, but she merely nodded when Caroline finished. The tiny smile that curled her lips was vicious.

"So the shop is up and running. That explains why Aurora is pushing to complete the ceremony. She assumes he's using it as an anchor."

Gia blinked, and frowned. "Which one is he? Surely not one of your brothers? And why wouldn't she make that assumption?"

Freya just smiled. "How long have you know Elijah? He's quite particular about his personal relationships."

Her friend's mouth clamped shut, and she refused to meet Freya's eyes. Caroline took pity on her and caught Freya's attention. "Do you know why she picked us? They wanted me specifically because I'm a changeling."

"Sympathetic magic," Freya said with a nod. "A doppelgänger would've been better, as they are humans rejected by the fae, but those lines have all but died out."

Gia frowned. "But doppelgängers don't _have_ magic."

"Not in a traditional sense," Freya agreed. "But their blood is best for binding spells."

Caroline's brows bunched. "Sympathetic magic, but that means…"

"I'm related to the demon by the blood of our mother." Freya shrugged again, unconcerned. "They probably picked me because Rebekah brought home that vampire of hers, and now she's out of reach. Stealing from a vampire is notoriously difficult. Gia is a decently powerful witch, and it appears she's connected to our family through her relationship with Elijah."

Face pale, Gia audibly swallowed. "You're saying that your family is _related_ to the demon? That a witch was stupid enough to birth one? And we're the batteries for the portal Aurora wants to use to banish back to the hell he came from?"

"They want to banish the demon," Caroline said slowly. "But if he's connected to your family by blood, then that is his anchor. Banishing him should be near impossible. It certainly won't be permanent."

"I'm sorry," Freya said softly. "But the demon she seeks will not go easily; even your deaths might fail to secure her victory. But I promise, Aurora will regret her actions greatly before her end."

Caroline clenched her teeth as Gia fell silent, staring at her hands for a long moment. Silently, she tucked herself into a ball and closed her eyes. A moment later Freya shut her eyes as well, clearly seeking some sort of rest. But Caroline couldn't join them. Pressing her fingers against the swallow tattoo on her wrist, she traced the lines repeatedly for long moments, thinking.

Aurora had set this trap for _Klaus_.

Her fingers curled into her palms, and she stared at the chalk that bound her even more tightly than the chains around her wrist. She was angry that she'd been caged. She was _furious_ that Gia had been abducted and no one had noticed, and it left the possessive, wild part of her churning beneath her skin. It was the same part she'd wrestled with when Bonnie had been stolen.

Then there was Klaus.

Caroline didn't know what she wanted from Klaus but until she decided, she'd no intention of letting some hack who stole other witches' powers steal her chance to figure it out. She'd bury Aurora somewhere to rot, somewhere no flower or tree would grow. She just needs to think.

Aurora and Tristan thought her magic was interesting, but weak. Kai had thought her weak once, too. Now, he rotted in her garden. Aurora had stripped her shields and had drawn upon the parts of her that Caroline rarely let loose.

More importantly, Aurora had foolishly expected Caroline's magic to remain out of her reach, the way it was for Gia and Freya. But Caroline wasn't a witch and her power didn't come from rituals, it wasn't passed down from her ancestors. Her magic came from within.

It was why demons and fae were considered dangerous, because their power was truly _their_ _own_. Aurora could tap into it, she could steal it, but she couldn't fully block Caroline from it. Caroline would enjoy teaching the witch that particular lesson.

Taking a slow, centering breath, she reached out with her mental hand and tugged at her magic. It came in a heady rush. Shuddering, Caroline wondered if this was what a desert felt like after a rainfall, her parched body absorbing the magic Aurora had denied it.

Eyes squeezed shut, she breathed through the influx of information and power. She could feel the magic in the room, and the taste of the witches murdered. She could almost touch the clay and stone beneath her legs, and she sensed the iron and silicon. Beneath the foundation, she studied the iron-muted network of roots that tangled deep in the earth. The shallow roots of the grass and flowers.

Sweat beaded along her temples and at the base of her spine. It would take time to peel back the magic that Aurora had woven with the deaths of the other witches, but she _could_ do it. If she was very careful, her magic might be able to weaken the circle just enough that the trap would fail. Her mouth curled into a slow smile as she pressed her palms against the cement floor and began.

* * *

Klaus accepted a tumbler of whiskey, gaze lifting to study the clock that ticked closer to one a.m. He enjoyed scheduling these little gatherings at times most would find inconvenient, and not only because it gave him the advantage of alertness, but it continued to feed the rumor that he was most powerful at night. While it was true that some demons suffered from some power loss during the day, _he_ was fully anchored in this dimension. He suffered from none of those pesky side effects that demons who struggled to stay corporal in a world they didn't belong dealt with.

But no one needed to know that just yet.

Taking another slow sip, he studied those he'd summoned to _Rousseau_ while letting the whiskey burn. His siblings were sprawled along the bar, Kol holding a bottle instead of a glass. Rebekah and Elijah were watching the room while projecting an air of complete boredom, while the vampire watched everyone with unblinking eyes. Several high ranking members of the local packs sat stiffly, avoiding eye contact, and their unease with each other clear.

It continued to amuse him that both packs had been as foolish as to come to him looking for an edge. The werewolf packs that had once fought so fiercely for territory now belonged to him, their alphas bound tightly by contract. Underneath the subjugation of their packs burned a hatred for him that he enjoyed watching as they carried out their assigned tasks.

Their sharp ears and nose had served as excellent spies the night before. The wolves had worked through the night to aggregate the conversations that they'd meticulously recorded. The smallest of repayments for a prodigious debt that was bound in blood.

But what interested Klaus the most was the conversation occurring in muted whispers behind him. Marcel's brows were drawn sharply together as the little witch's hand fluttered between them, her shoulders drawn tight. The growing disquiet on his servant's face was intriguing. Of all the current occupants of _Rousseau_ , only Davina and Enzo were not directly tied to him.

Glancing at his watch, his gaze narrowed. Lucien was now late. Considering what that meant, he glanced back at the agitated witch.

"Davina," Klaus drawled, interrupting her frustrated conversation. "Do you have something to share?"

The little witch drew sharply upright as she turned to face him. Davina had never bothered to mask her dislike of him, her frustration that Marcel was bound so tightly. He wondered if she'd been given the truth, that Marcel was the rare human who'd sought him out without any outside influences?

Even Lucien had first been carefully cultivated by Freya.

"Another witch was abducted," Davina said defiantly. "This brings the total to six."

Klaus arched a brow. "You are certain? I was under the impression that your little Coven was struggling to trace the abductions."

Her expression was impatient, eyes hot. "Yes. I'm certain. I've spoken with to Soph at length and she agrees that someone might be attempting to bypass the limits placed by their ancestral magic. There aren't many targets that require that kind of power in this city."

Klaus' mouth curled in amusement. "No? Interesting that you'd assume that a witch would attempt to amass power simple to eliminate a target. I've learned that avarice and jealousy play as much a part in the hearts of witches as humans. Celeste was an excellent example, don't you think?"

Davina bared her teeth. "Don't bring her into this."

"As fascinating as someone attempting to kill me would be," Klaus drawled as he felt his siblings move closer, drawn by the conversation. Behind him, the bar door pushed open and a presence he hadn't expected walked in. Curious, that she bypassed Marcel's warding. "Freya still lives, I'd have felt her death. So the point of the abductions aren't just death magic. The numbers aren't correct for a ritual, so I've little continued reason to care for anyone other than Freya."

Davina scowled, hand moving sharply between them. "Witches are _dying_."

"Our sister is _our_ concern, not these mysterious witches you cannot actual prove are _dead_." Rebekah cut in. "You don't even have an accurate count."

"Ten witches," Bonnie Bennett said firmly. Klaus turned and studied her as she pushed her way through the crowd to glare at Davina. " _Ten_ witches are missing, and seven are dead. _Those_ numbers are concerning."

Kol appeared next to her, smile wide. "Hello darling, miss me already?"

"I invited her," Davina said sharply to Kol. Marcel let out a curse and she lifted her chin. "Her friend is missing, after all."

Klaus went still, fingers curled tightly around the tumbler he still held in his hand. Only Enzo seemed to notice, and the vampire's eyes narrowed.

Kol shook his head in mock sadness, hand shifting to lay across his heart. "How disappointing. There are rules of course, but we'd be happy to assist in a rescue mission."

Bonnie snorted and pinned Davina with her gaze, ignoring Kol. "You should have involved me sooner."

"You're not one of us," Davina said tightly. "You made it clear you wanted nothing to do with the elders, our ancestors. Why would we trust you?"

Lips curling into dangerous smile, Bonnie held her eyes. "After the disaster of your last Harvest Ritual, why would I wish to join your factions? How many girls died with you Davina that will never walk again because of your family's greed? Three? And yet, Celeste doesn't rot in the ground."

"Miss Bennett," Elijah cut in, voice mildly disapproving. "Would you be so kind as to explain as _who_ was taken?"

"Caroline," she told Elijah without looking away from Davina. "They took Caroline."

It was a strain to keep his face neutral. The possessive fury in his chest was only unexpected in its intensity, and his voice was low and rough when he spoke. "You are certain?"

"Caroline's shop was left unlocked, the lights on. She'd never have left it that way unless forced," Bonnie said flatly. "I can't find Gia, so I think they took her too. I can find _anyone_."

The room was silent and Klaus watched Elijah's jaw tighten. Setting his glass down, Klaus stood. He felt his power bleeding into his eyes, his temper a thing with teeth in his chest. They'd grabbed Caroline when she'd only been feet from his territory. The brazen abduction spoke of an arrogance he wanted to bleed dry. "She is the tenth?"

Bonnie nodded firmly, the worry clear in her gaze when she looked at him. "Yes. Ten witches. Someone was being very careful, all but three are transients. Easily disposable and difficult to prove missing."

Enzo leaned forward, arm sliding across Rebekah's tense shoulders. "How are you so certain? The Coven's of New Orleans aren't even certain of their numbers."

"They've been dumping the bodies in Mystic Falls," Bonnie said flatly. "The Sheriff is a friend of mine, and he's been keeping his eyes open as a personal favor. This morning, the seventh body was found."

Rebekah cursed, and her fingers lifted and dug into Enzo's arm. Her eyes shifted to Klaus, fury turning them brilliant. "Then they're after you."

Bonnie's gaze swung around the circle, eyes narrowed as she quickly put the pieces together. Klaus admired the quickness of her mind. It was fortunate for her that she was so tightly aligned with Caroline, as that quickness made her dangerous. Part of him itched to destroy her now, eliminate the threat she posed, but he knew how quickly that ruin what was between him and Caroline.

And he _wanted_ Caroline.

He wasn't foolish enough to imagine that meant he could have her without her current attachments. She was as possessive and jealous as he, but these friends of hers, they were still human. One day, they'd be gone. Klaus could be patient, when necessary.

When Bonnie spoke, her voice was full of disbelief. "You're fully anchored."

Davina snorted. "That's impossible, _no_ witch…"

Her voice died as her gaze darted among the family, face going pale. Klaus smiled at her discomfort. He held her gaze, before flickering his eyes to Marcel in silent warning. "You will of course keep that to yourself, Davina?"

Fear and hatred tightened her mouth but she nodded sharply. Satisfied for now, he turned back to Bonnie Bennett. "Seven witches to power a circle, and three to bind it."

Kol nodded slowly, head tilting. "That might work, but the witches bound to the circle would need ties to us."

"Freya is our sister," Rebekah said quietly. "Isn't that enough?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No."

Elijah tipped his head, features hard. "Gia is connected to the family through me."

Kol clapped his hands together. "And the changeling is connected to Klaus through her sympathetic magic."

Rebekah frowned, gaze narrowed, but she merely nodded. Klaus' jaw tightened, and he didn't correct his brother. Rebekah would guess there was more, as would the Bennett Witch, and that was more than enough possible threats realizing his vulnerability.

Far more than magic connected him to Caroline. His interest, the offer of a date, had become tangible threads. Her returned interest had tightened the gossamer silk between them. They were both creatures of words and the binding magic of bargains.

Davina bit her lip, glancing at Marcel warily. Her weight shifted, the first sign of guilt he'd seen from the witch. "Caroline hides what she is from everyone. How did they know?"

Marcel glanced at her, surprise written sharply on his face. "You knew?"

She looked away, uncomfortable. "She keeps bodies in her garden. Humans don't keep those kind of trophies. And Celeste knew her grandmother."

Marcel's gaze narrowed. Klaus clasped his hands behind his back, and studied the lines of Marcel's face. That Davina had kept this secret from Marcel left him wondering what other secrets she hid.

Kol laughed in delight, breaking the silence as he nudged Bonnie with his shoulder. "A bit vindictive, your changeling? She'll fit right in. Tell me, are her victims dead _before_ she buries them?"

Bonnie ignored him. "I agree with Davina. Whoever has Caroline, they shouldn't have known what she is or that she is of fae decent. And why Mystic Falls? They aren't dumping bodies in Virginia for convenience."

Klaus had no intention of telling the Bennett Witch that Esther had been born in Mystic Falls centuries ago. That the bodies of the witches were meant as a desecration, an attempt to weaken his hold on this world. For all that this foe knew who and what he was they seemed to be unaware that he would not be easily cast out of this dimension.

Before he had decided on a reply, Lucien's familiar presence approached. His brows arched as he realized why Lucien was late and whom he'd brought with him. "I believe we are about to receive a few of our answers."

Lucien pushed open the door a moment later, his usual perfect appearance ruined. His clothing was rumpled and singed, hair wild. Behind him, bruised and dirty was Rose. Her arm was shackled so tightly by Lucien's grip that his knuckles were white, her flesh dark beneath his grip. Without preamble, he flung her into the loose circle with a grim smile.

"I've found your traitor," Lucien declared as he reached into his back pocket. He produced a written sheet of paper with a pretty, feminine scrawl across the front. "You were correct. I have their demands for Freya's return."

Klaus nodded approvingly. "Well done."

Then he turned his attention to Rose. She stared defiantly at him, cheeks pale beneath her flush of rage. Her hands were curled into fists, the perfection of her tattoo stark against her bare arm. She was bleeding beneath her clothes, and Enzo eyed her with a curling little smile, sensing weakness.

Rose spat at Lucien, eyes burning. "You call _me_ traitor?"

"Rose-Marie," Elijah interrupted with a sigh. "I'm most disappointed."

Her lips curled away from her teeth in a sneer. "I was there when they made Gia bleed. She screamed as they built the circle with her blood. It sounded like it _hurt_. At least when you cared for that doppelgänger bitch, I could see why. Gia is trash, tossed aside by her family."

Elijah's face was carved from stone. "A state in which you will find yourself soon enough."

Klaus prowled closer, enjoying the way she flinched back. "You of all people should know that betraying me is unwise."

"You killed Trevor," Rose said fiercely, eyes filled with old rage. "You _killed_ him."

"Of course we did." Elijah said, one brow lifting. "He aided those who helped murder Katerina. Did you imagine that there would be no consequences? You lived because I granted your life. You will regret that mercy before you die."

Rose trembled, but she didn't back down. "She was just a doppelgänger bitch, and she deserved to die on that stake. Trevor did the world a favor. Just like killing that changeling will be a blessing. One day, humanity will no longer be corrupted by your kind."

"Katerina," Rebekah said cool tones. "Belonged to this family. Bitch or not, Trevor aided in taking her away. Just as you've now sided with those who have done harm to our sister Freya. Trevor was clearly not enough of an example, we will not make that mistake with you."

Bonnie crossed her arms and stared at Rose. "Caroline was nice to you. She defended you when you left."

Rose sneered. "She's _fae_."

"She's my friend," Bonnie said in hard tones. "So is Gia. Where are they?"

Elijah lifted a brow at her stubborn silence. "Rose? Answer the question."

Her chin lifted. "I won't tell you. You don't deserve to be happy. You help _him_. He strips us of everything good and replaces it with his yolk, and you funnel the weak to him like sheep. And do you think I care that you're a Bennett witch? You picked our enemies side. One day, you'll die too."

Klaus _tsked_ softly, and ran the tips of his fingers lightly along the tattoo he'd personally inked into Rose's flesh. She jerked as if she'd been burned, and he smiled at her. Her expression changed and her breath stuttered in her throat, as her heart started to pound. Her defiance melted into the first stirring of terror as Klaus let his power burn away his humanity.

Rose failed to hide the way she trembled as he slowly repeated the caress, muscle flinching beneath his touch. The skin around her mouth whitened as he stood before her with golden eyes, his face structure no longer quite human and fangs apparent as he smiled. Even the Bennett witch looked uneasy as the packs drew back, widening the circle around them.

Klaus kept his voice a low caress, head angling to give her the best view of his eyes as he called on the first embers of his power. "Do you think you have a choice?"

She shook her head in mute denial.

He laughed and deliberately continued touching her tattoo, the fine bones of her trembling wrists. Slowly, Klaus let more of his power bleed out as he traced the designs on her arm until they started to glow. "Have you forgotten that I _own_ you, Rose?"

Her body was locked tight, the cords in her neck drawn taut as he soaked the dormant spells of their contract with his power. She blinked rapidly, the brightness of his power blinding as it flared outward. When the power settled again, the ballerina with her pretty flower skirt was almost moving, the flowers vibrant with his power. Rose had gone soft and lax before him, her eyes wide with horror.

Klaus' smile was a horror of its own, dimples bracketing the terror of it. "I carved my power into your flesh as a _kindness_ , a visible reminder of the price you paid to live. Obedience. Loyalty. Such simple requirements. Yet, you have carelessly disregarded both."

Rose shook her head, sweat beading at her temples. Her mouth opened and closed, and no sound came out. The sheen of her eyes grew wet, her defiance traded for pure terror. He could feel that fear emanating from around him, the disgust and horror from the witches, and he breathed it in with satisfaction. Klaus reached out and tapped Rose lightly on the chin.

"Now, sweetheart, you'll tell me whatever I want to know, and you'll give it to me willingly. Won't you?"

Her eyes welled, lips trembling, and on the next pass of his fingers, he let his nails drag lightly across her flesh. Let's start with Caroline. Who took her?"

"Aurora and Tristan de Martel," she whispered, words rasped as if they'd been dragged from her tongue. "Lucien helped them."

"He has acted on my orders," Klaus dismissed. "He's been integrating himself with them for days. I'm more curious with how they found out she is fae?"

"I told them," Rose said before she dragged in a ragged breath. "After she came into the shop, I told them she was important to you and that her magic wasn't _right_."

Shaking his head, Klaus let his smile slip into a blade. "You'll regret that, Rose. Where are they?"

Rose spilled her secrets at his command, tears slipping silently down her face. Kol and Elijah asked their own questions, drawing every morsel of information from the witch. When it became clear that she knew little of the ritual Aurora intended to perform he glanced at Elijah. His brother nodded once, eyes like flint.

"Now _there_ ," Klaus drawled, his eyes glittering with iron as he wiped her face. Holding her gaze, he licked the bitterness and salt off his fingertips. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Go to hell," Rose said through clenched teeth.

Klaus laughed, and skimmed his fingers along her throat. "Now, now we both know I'd actually enjoy that. You, on the other hand? You're going to be a good girl and return to my shop."

Rose finally managed to jerk back, her head shaking as she started to babble. Klaus caught her face tightly between his palms, grip bruising. Her mouth closed with a snap, a whimper dying in her throat like a tapped animal. Klaus angled his head, eyes bright with power. "She is yours, Elijah, if you'd care to mete out her punishment."

"I would enjoy the opportunity to continue my discussion with Rose regarding Katerina's death."

Klaus nodded, before pushing power into his words. "Rose, you will return to the shop and you will go into the room you fear so greatly. There is a single chair waiting for you. That is where you will await my return. Do you understand?"

Rose's tears spilled fresh and hot down her cheeks, and she hiccupped. "Just _kill_ me."

Klaus patted her cheek, the faux-comfort in his a terrible caress. "There is no such mercy in me. You will never be free of me, and there is no sky you can dance under where you are not my puppet."

He delighted in the defeat, the hopelessness that rose into her gaze. Klaus would enjoy crushing her beneath the weight of that crippling fear for centuries to come. Brushing her hair away from her wet cheek, he tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Now, go on, love. We'll have such _fun_ together."

The bar was filled with such a terrible, thrilling silence as she slowly stumbled away. Klaus imagined a great many were realizing how easily he could strip them of their will that he could take whatever secrets he wanted from their souls. Delighted by the stink of that fear, he turned back to Bonnie Bennett.

"Three witches to bind the circle," he repeat, head tilted in question.

She nodded once, disgust and rage mingled behind her eyes. "Yes."

"Kol, Rebekah…"

"I do love a bit of mayhem," Kol said in delight. "I have the perfect toy to take with us."

"Yes," Rebekah said as she stepped away from Enzo. Her voice was cool, but the fury behind her eyes turned them brilliant. "Kol can't heal, and they've had Freya for weeks. I doubt they've bothered to care for her."

Enzo slipped his hands into his pockets. "Not without me, Bekah."

She smiled at him, eyes glittering. Elijah stepped closer, adjusting the cuffs of his jacket. "I too, would like to join you. It appears that a few of our enemies have forgotten what we are capable of. It is time to rectify that."

Klaus nodded, mentally running through the best use of his family. "Lucien, you are aware of the layout?"

"Yes," Lucien said firmly. "Although I was banned from going downstairs to where they are keeping the witches. I have copies of the homes' blueprints on my phone, but they have done extensive renovations."

"I'm going," Bonnie said into Klaus' thoughtful silence. "Caroline and Gia are my family."

Davina stepped forward. "Me too."

Klaus arched a brow. "No."

Bonnie gave him a dangerous look. "You'll find it difficult to bargain if you're locked in a prison world."

Kol laughed. "You'd have to lock our entire family away, darling. A difficult feat to accomplish without dying. Do you honestly believe you could manage it?"

"Yes."

His smile died. Gaze narrowed, Kol studied Bonnie's resolved face with growing interest. "You are just full of surprises, witchling."

Klaus wondered if the Bonnie realized just how irresistible she'd just made herself. "The Bennett witch may come. Davina, you will stay here."

"Do you think you can ma…" her words died as Marcel put his hand on her shoulder. Her jaw tightened, teeth grinding, as she turned to glare at him. Marcel's face didn't waver, and she finally nodded. "Fine."

"Excellent," Klaus drawled, dismissing her. "Marcel, while we are gone, start digging into the de Martel's assets. Find who sponsored this little adventure of theirs. I doubt they are working alone. I want to know where they are keeping their wealth, and who has been donating so lavishly to their cause that they can afford to do all this beneath the witches of New Orleans collective noses."

Davina made a sound of protest but subsided beneath Marcel's warning look. Klaus' smile shifted shifting to something that had several people flinching back, and he glanced at his family.

"Shall we?"

"Aurora will be expecting you," Lucien reminded him. "She sent me with the expectation that you'd attempt a rescue. She sent demands, but we both know what she wants is you."

Klaus arched a brow, amusement and danger curling along his lips. "We'll, we shouldn't disappoint her. After you, Lucien."


	5. Chapter 5

**Here be the last chapter! There is smut, you have been warned.  
**

* * *

A loud bang brought Caroline into a hazy sort of awareness. Blinking her eyes open from where she'd slumped over, she slowly straightened. Wincing at the stiffness in her shoulders, she looked around and she tried to puzzle out what had woken her. The room was still overly bright, the chalk patterns dizzying if stared at too long.

And while the circle still felt _wrong_ , underneath the slab of the foundation was a layer of Caroline's magic that worked slowly to purify the death magic back into the earth. If Caroline closed her eyes she could almost see the plants pushing up through the porous material of the foundation. Satisfied that everything had held while she'd catnapped, she startled with a gasp as a loud explosion rocked the home above her. Dust and debris rained down, sparking and burning where it landed on the chalk. Squinting, Caroline waved her hand, trying to push the fine particles of floating plaster and ash away from her face.

Gia shot up at the second explosion, her hair sticking to her mouth and her shoulders rigid with strain. Her friend visibly flinched as she looked around, attempting to find the threat. There were circles beneath Gia's eyes, shadows that spoke of lack of food or water. Freya rose with the most grace, pushing off the cement floor with a curling smile that could cut flesh.

"So dramatic," Freya murmured as she tilted her head, clearly listening for any signs of an impending rescue. "He must have brought Kol."

"Kol? Your brother?" Gia asked as she swiveled to face them. She frowned at Caroline's appearance, shoving her hair away from her face impatiently. "You look like a ghost. What did you do?"

Caroline waved off her concern and slowly pushed to her feet, ignoring the way the chains kept her from fully straightening. "It's fine. Why Kol?"

Freya followed her lead, standing with a soft grunt that belied the ease of the motion. For a moment, she studied Caroline with narrowed eyes, her gaze lowering to the floor. Her expression shifted to contemplative, but she said nothing about what she sensed. "He has a fondness for explosions, and I don't smell smoke. Rebekah's prone to burning people alive."

Gia wrinkled her nose. "No offense, but your sister sounds crazy."

"She's family," Freya said with a shrug. "Elijah too, you'll find, will broker no disrespect. His methods are not as kind as Rebekah's. While brutal and visually horrifying, being burned alive is over relatively quick. Elijah is not so merciful. I hope you are aware of that, considering you've shared his bed."

"What a man accepts from a lover isn't necessarily what he tolerates from everyone else," Gia pointed out as she stood. "But what's between Elijah and I is our business, not yours."

"Regardless, I imagine we'll have company soon enough. We are the bait, after all," Freya said as she rolled her neck, eyeing the door. "Aurora also has a flair for the dramatic."

"She certainly has allusions of grandeur," Gia muttered.

Caroline chewed on her lip before she glanced curiously at Freya. "What time do you think it is?"

Gia snorted as the sharp clack of heels against the floor became apparent. "It's definitely past the witching hour, if that's what you're concerned with."

Freya nodded. "My brother would never give her that kind of psychological edge."

"He's being _most_ inconsiderate," Aurora huffed as she stormed into the room. The long, green slip of her dress flared around her ankles dramatically as she turned the corner. Her hair was braided away from her face, poppy red lipstick perfect. "I expected him _hours ago_. How difficult is it for a minion to deliver such a _simple_ message?"

Freya laughed. "Did you entrust that task to Lucien?"

Aurora narrowed her eyes, lips curling into sneer. "I don't see how that matters to you when you'll be dead soon enough. Regulated to being nothing more than a fancy battery."

"So you say," Freya dismissed. "Did you know, Aurora, before you tried to put your claws into him, that Lucien was _mine_?"

Aurora jerked back, eyes widening before they narrowed into slits. "Lies."

"Now, why would I lie?"

Teeth bared, Aurora glared at Freya. "You're power was built on lies, and like all kingdoms built on sand, your family will crumble. You should have taken my offer. You'll never get another one."

"I don't slum," Freya dismissed, tossing her ruined braid over her shoulder. Emaciated and filthy, she stared down her nose at Aurora. "Neither does my family. Which is why they'd _never_ choose you."

Aurora's face turned red with temper, and her hands curled into fists. Caroline realized with a start that Freya was baiting her. Gia must have realized it too, because she watched Aurora with wary eyes, jaw clenched.

The small witch seethed as her gaze darted around the room, and her smile was brittle. "You think you're so much better than everyone. When the truth is that the only reason you have any real power is because your family sold their souls to _demons_."

"I don't have to think anything," Freya said cooly. "I _know_ I'm stronger than you. You're a hack, and you made your bargains with your backers. They are using you, and one day, they'll toss you away like trash. _If_ you survive that long."

Aurora stepped close to the first chalk line and spread her fingers wide, chatting underneath her breath. The lines of chalk started to glow, and Caroline swayed on her feet as Aurora's eyes took on the same glow. But it wasn't Caroline that Aurora was interested in stripping power from. She chanted until she drove Freya to her knees, blood bubbling on her lips. In the center of the room, faintly glowing lines arched above the circle, vibrating painfully against Caroline's skull.

Aurora was using them to build a portal. Caroline swallowed around her painfully dry throat, shuddered at another sharp spike of pain behind her eyes as she tried to look at it. It appeared Freya had been correct in her assumptions, and Caroline smiled grimly.

"And look where all your precious power got you," Aurora hissed, fingers closing with a snap. "On your _knees_. All of you will _beg_ me for death before I'm done with you. Only then will I put your brother back into hell. Perhaps I'll even send your precious corpse with him, a token of what he once had. What he _lost_."

Aurora spun away from them as the floor shuddered above them, a third explosion blasting violently above them. Her lips curled, fingers clasped tightly in front of her body. "They'll be here soon enough. Tristan knows only to play with them a little."

"Tristian is human," Caroline said, mouth bone dry. Her head was pounding, and her stomach rolling dangerously from the dissonance of the power Aurora was using and the strain of keeping her magic hidden as it rose to the surface in small starbursts. She was careful to keep her eyes on Aurora's back, and she avoided looking at the first tiny sprout that pushed up near Gia's foot. The little piece of greenery was imbedded in the chalk, but the magic didn't move against it. "Your brother won't stand a chance against witches and demons."

Aurora laughed and spread her arms, not bothering to turn to face them. "Humanity is far stronger than some fae-made creaturelike you could _ever_ understand. But Tristan is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to cleanse our world."

Gia shook her head. "The only cleansing that needs to happen is fanatics like you."

A door was thrown open above them, and footsteps were heard clearly. Aurora smiled brightly, ignoring Gia. "Tristan?"

But the footsteps that came down the stairs didn't belong to Tristan. A familiar dark head twisted around the corner, and grinned. "Hello there Gorgeous, got yourself in a bit of a spot here, it seems? Your Bonnie Bennett asked me to check on you while they tidied things upstairs. Freya, I'm glad to see you, Bekah was be pleased you're still alive."

Aurora's face twisted into a mask of hate. " _Vampire_."

"Ah, you don't have to say it quite in that tone. You seemed eager enough to know me the other night," Enzo smiled at her, eyes crinkled at the corners. "My wife has a few things she'd like to chat with you about that, actually. Usually I'd dissuade someone from something as easy murder, but not my wife. She's got such a violently creativity mind. It's partly why I married her."

Aurora hissed. "I'll kill you both."

Enzo just looked amused, eyes scanning the floor with raised brows. "Got a few nasty things down here, don't you? Well, we'll just have to see how much they'll help you. Ladies, I'll return shortly."

He blurred away, and Aurora stomped one foot. Spinning, she stalked around Caroline, putting the circle between her and the staircase. "He thinks he can just mock me? A _vampire_?"

Caroline set her teeth as her knees slammed painfully into the concrete as Aurora began to chant in earnest, ripping at their magic with harsh words that left behind invisible gouges. Gia screamed, her hands pressed tightly to her head as she sank to her knees. The chalk started to glow, and the portal solidified. The vibrating inside Caroline's head grew worse, and nausea rolled through her. But beneath the terrible death magic that Aurora worked to blend the power she was stealing, was starbursts of green and gold.

Across from Caroline, unnoticed by the enraged Aurora, the daisy near Gia's knees bloomed, its perfect petals opening wide to drink in the death around it. Drawn by the power being violently expended, shoots slowly pushed free of the concrete. Shuddering at the next vicious pulse of of her magic, Caroline dug her nails into the floor and ducked her head at the growing brightness in the room. Aurora's voice rose, and she pulled for more and more magic, until even Freya was gasping painfully for air.

The portal settled with a silent howl.

Across from Caroline, Gia looked into the depths of its twisting power and dry heaved. Freya had slumped over, unconscious. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline watched as her flower shoots continued to curl open into flowers up beneath the swirling opening, daisies and petunias in pretty colors opening wide. Each flower pushed against the balance of magic in the room, the tentative control that Aurora maintained, their happy voices drowning out the terrible dissonance until Caroline breathe safely again.

The very air seemed to shift, and the iron and blood left her mouth. Her magic was building with each piece of greenery, each happy bloom that filled the air. Even the light seemed to change, no longer painfully bright against her eyes, but something softer, more natural.

As her magic worked to clean away the last taint of the death magic, Caroline realized with a start that her headache, the worst of her fatigue, had faded. Carefully, she glanced at the darkness of the portal, and her breath caught. Behind the wild swirl of magic that called so forcefully to her, the glimpse of the world it opened to was beautiful. It was a treacherous landscape, stark in its loveliness, and it tugged at Caroline's chest.

A moment later, she realized the dissonance was gone.

"What did you _do_?"

Aurora's rage filled voice cut through Caroline's wonder, and she turned to meet furious eyes. Rage had twisted Aurora's pretty features into a grotesque mask, her teeth bared. She towered over Freya's slumped form, gaze wild, and Aurora took another step. " _What did you do_?"

"She claimed it for herself."

Caroline's head twisted around and her stomach flipped at the sight that Klaus made. His eyes were golden, lips curled to show the sharp points of fangs. He'd rolled his shirt away from his forearms, and those tattoos she'd first admired glowed with violent power. His shirt did little to hide that he was inked with similar symbols across his chest and abdomen, and she swallowed as he took everyone in with those burning eyes.

Near his foot, another flower pushed up.

"Impossible," Aurora bit out. She lifted her hand to chant, but Klaus smiled, and she faltered. But it wasn't Klaus that had given her pause, but the way bits of foundation scattered across the floor as more and more flowers started to push free. It was instinctive, to feed them what was churning in the middle of the room, to let her magic have its way as it was fed by the magic of the portal. Caroline bit her lip as her plants reached towards Klaus, pretty pinks and purples, blues and yellows scattering across the room.

Drawn by her.

Drawn by _Klaus_.

He met Caroline's gaze, and his smile shifted towards something utterly satisfied, before he pinned the frozen Aurora with his eyes. "Your brother is mine now."

"Impossible," she repeated fiercely. "He'd _never_ serve you."

Klaus stepped further into the room, careful not to crush the growing garden around him. "Many have thought that over the years. I continue to find it fascinating how quickly that stance changes when they face death."

" _No_."

"You've failed," Klaus said with a laugh. "The portal, the trap you've fought to destroy me with is no longer under your control. Your brother is broken, and mine. You've lost utterly."

"I will not bargain with you," she declared, hands glowing with the power she'd stolen from the dead witches. "I'll kill them."

Klaus eyes started to glow brightly, power spilling down his face as he walked towards the circle, his tattoos blinding. "I think not."

Caroline had cleansed the circle, but it was clear that Aurora had stored some of the stolen magic in other places. Whatever Aurora threw at Klaus, the feel of it shattered the air. Ducking to cover her watering eyes, Caroline placed one hand on the floor, and stubbornly fed her magic into the circle. It would protect Gia and Freya, offer a buffer to Klaus.

She nearly lost her concentration, when the portal pulsed, unexpectedly flooding her system with power she had not asked for. Hunching over as the wild magic attempted to dig into the marrow of her bones, she let the portal feed power to her spell, her garden draining Aurora's power as fast as she could call it.

Near her, Klaus laughed wildly. Caroline thought she heard Bonnie scream and then suddenly, everything just… stopped. Carefully, she lifted her head and squinted through her watering eyes.

Aurora was gone.

Where she'd once stood, Freya fought to stay upright, swaying on her feet. Gia was pale, her lips bloodless, and she glanced at Caroline with wide eyes. "Freya pushed her in."

Freya smiled, her nose and eyes bloody. "Demon or Fae, whatever lives over there isn't going to like her very much. I hope they start to eat her while she's still alive and conscious."

"Caroline, Gia," Bonnie's frantic voice interrupted, and Caroline turned to find her. She was pushing past Kol, eyes worried. "Are you alright?"

Caroline smiled wearily. "We'll live."

"Yes," Gia said with a sigh. "But we'll need to break the circle to leave."

Bonnie stopped just in front of the chalk line, brows furrowed as Kol sauntered over. He was carrying a bat and blood spattered, where her friend was a little worn but clean. Caroline bit her lip as Bonnie smiled.

"That's easy enough to do."

Gia gave a tiny shriek when Bonnie turned and shoved Kol into the pentagram. He yelped, the hair on his arms visible standing on end before there was a crack of power and the circle was suddenly just chalk. Kol swore viciously, but to Caroline's surprise, Klaus just laughed.

Bonnie gave Kol a sugar-sweet smile. "You're the one bragging about being invincible. I'm just taking you at your word."

Kol bared his teeth, but Caroline ignored his response as the chains fell away. Rubbing her aching wrists for a moment, she reached out to stroke the daisy closest to her in a silent thank you. It pressed against her hand, radiating happiness. A moment later, footsteps tromped down the stairs, and the rest of the Mikaelson's flooded the room.

A blonde woman Caroline had never met went straight to Freya, Enzo hot on her heels. She nodded at the new witch and Enzo grinned brightly before helping his wife tend to Freya. A tall, severe man impeccably dressed walked straight for Gia and crouched, offering his hands.

She watched for a moment as they spoke quietly before Klaus stepped in front of her. "Alright, sweetheart?"

She accepted his help to stand with a sigh, thankful she'd worn slacks yesterday. Swaying a little, she didn't argue as he gripped her elbow, holding her steady. She tilted her chin towards the twisting portal, the magic softer, a little less wild.

"What are we going to do about that?"

Klaus glanced at the portal and shrugged. "It's yours now."

Enzo walked over, carrying a clearly disgruntled Freya easily. He glanced at the portal, and then at Caroline, something like admiration in his gaze. "Well now, aren't you just full of surprises?"

Bonnie glanced at Gia with uneasy eyes, but she shifted to lean against Caroline in a half hug. "How _do_ you manage to do these things?"

Caroline laughed and returned her hug as Klaus moved away. "At least it's not a prison world."

Bonnie sighed, and just hugged her tighter.

Gia walked to them carefully, looking at the flowers with amusement. "I'll never look at a hanging garden the same way again. I'm seeing this correctly? You purified her magic, and then claimed it?"

Caroline grimaced. "The claiming was an accident. Flowers just want everything to be pretty. They take away the bad, if given a chance."

Rebekah snorted as she stepped around Enzo. "This is a bit more than _pretty_. The portal is bleeding power. In a few hours, you'd have your own little Underhill."

"And then I'd have to defend it," Caroline said in exasperation. She shook her head. "This isn't my kind of power."

"Then we'll need to close it," Bonnie said firmly. "We don't want something just walking through. Doors go both ways."

Caroline scowled, and ignored the bickering that broke out around her as Kol and Rebekah tried to argue with Bonnie. The power coming from the portal was astonishing, and Klaus' sister was right. A few hours, and the space in the basement would change and warp, twisting the very fabric of space around her. But this kind of power was addicting and would only drive her paranoia.

She just didn't know how to close it. Eyes narrowed, she glanced at Klaus who looked amused by the scene around him. "You could close it."

His smile dimpled, head tipping to the side "You'd have to give me control."

She scowled and ignored the way Bonnie's fingers cut into her skin. Gaze narrowed, she scrapped her lip with her teeth and studied his expression. There was no avoiding the power that would give him, not when she knew her own power had been boosted by the portal. But there were ways to minimize the damage.

"Only if you agree to close immediately," she told him firmly. "And you have to promise that whatever power you draw from it, you can't use it against me or those I claim."

Klaus' smile slowly widened, stretching across his face. He stepped closer, ran a finger down her arm. "A bargain, sweetheart?"

Caroline snorted. "Hardly. You still owe me."

His teeth flashed, and he offered his palm. "So I do. On my word, Caroline Forbes, I will close the portal, and any lingering power will not be used by me or mine to cause harm to those you claim."

Bonnie caught her arm. "You don't honestly trust him, do you?"

The thing was, she did. But there were other things to take into consideration. Such as the fact that the last time Klaus had used magic around her, she'd gone home _aching_. Caroline took a deep breath and nudged Bonnie with her hip. "You should go upstairs. This will be easier without an audience."

Bonnie opened her mouth but closed it when Gia swayed. A moment later and Elijah had a hand on her arm, steadying her. Gia looked at Bonnie and grimaced. "I think she's right. She'll be fine, probably. It's feels a bit like her garden, doesn't it?

Bonnie hesitated and then sighed, shoulders slumping. "Fine. Be _careful_."

Freya gave her a considering glance. "I want to see what they've done with the house, Rebekah, and I believe Lucien will have insights to what's still here."

Rebekah wrinkled her nose. "I do not understand your concern for that peasant."

Freya arched a brow. "Lucien was mine first."

Kol laughed, smiling at Bonnie. "Let's go, witchling. You're friends aren't the only witches to have expended considerable power. You're not nearly as much fun if you're all burned out and weak."

Bonnie scowled, but allowed herself to be led away. It took only a moment, for the room to empty. Once they were alone, Caroline settled her palm against his. "You do understand that if you just lied to me, I'll hunt you."

Klaus laughed softly. "I'd look forward to such a thing, sweetheart. Would you hunt me straight to my bed?"

She snorted, gaze narrowed and he stilled her words by brushing his thumb across her lips. "I haven't lied to you yet, Caroline. No point in starting now, when you watch me with such wary trust."

She pursed her lips and eyed him, the last of her exhaustion slipping away at the feel of his skin against hers. Awareness and heat brushed down her spine. "What are the odds that I react the same way as the other night at _Rousseau_?"

His brow arched and he shook his head. "I've never known my magic to illicit such a response without my intentions driving it, Caroline. I usually inspire fear, not arousal. It's possible it was a onetime reaction."

"Possibly _and_ likely?"

He laced their fingers together. Golden threads widen like ribbons through his iris, until the blue disappeared. Her mouth ran dry, and power flared against her palm and fingers as his tattoos came to life. "I suppose we'll know shortly."

She rolled her eyes, and then Klaus' power blanketed the room. For a single moment, it was nearly impossible to breath and then her lungs dragged in air thick with the heat of his magic, until him inside her chest. Klaus laced their fingers together he manipulated the energy in the room, tugging gently against magic to coax the portal's power into his grasp. Claimed it. The moment the balance of power in the room shifted, she felt it down to her bones. The air grew hot and lazy against her exposed skin, and her body started to _burn_.

Caroline inhaled sharply, and staggered forward against Klaus as the _feel_ of him stroked her, hazing over her brain. Arousal coiled low in her belly, adrenaline igniting to lust. She bit her lip viciously to hold back her moan, and Klaus cursed quietly against her ear.

"Caroline," he rasped and her teeth cut into her lip at the sound of her name against his tongue, rough and touched with gravel. His free hand settled against her hip, fingers scalding against her waist. "You smell divine."

She gripped his shirt tightly, her breasts aching, forehead pressed tightly to his shoulder. "Spirits, you're potent."

His laugh was strained. "There is enough power left in this room that I can transport us to your home, but you'll have to invite me."

His fingers ran up the curve of her spine to grip the nape of neck, and she moaned. She felt him shiver, and he respected her name firmly. Taking a deep breath, her control fraying, she pulled back enough to look at his face.

"Come home with me."

He tugged her back against him, a bitten off order harsh in her ears. She shivered as they were surrounded in a bone deep cold, and then suddenly they were standing outside in a muggy, New Orleans night. The moonlight and humid air helped clear her head for a moment, and she blinked slowly as she realized they were standing next to the back gate of her yard. Turning to face him, her gaze froze greedily onto Klaus' lips.

All the tangled up wants and needs from the last week loosened in her chest, and she was flushed and a little giddy. Aurora was dead or would shortly wish she'd died. Freya and Gia were alive. Aching from more than just Klaus' magic, Caroline decided she didn't want to deal with the after effects and the battle alone. His magic was an aphrodisiac against her senses, and she wanted his hands on her skin.

Klaus dragged his gaze down her body, eyes heated, but then he briefly closed them. Visibly fought for control. "Let's get you…"

She rose up on her toes and slanted her mouth across his. He staggered into the fence as she tangled her fingers into his curls, tongue slick along his bottom lip. She curved one hand against his throat, the other fisting in his hair and Caroline pressed firmly against the hard line of his body, moaning as lingering magic sparked and heated against her breasts and stomach.

She wanted to lay the flat of her tongue against his skin, to taste the power that buzzed through her in heady waves of arousal. Klaus's hands curled around her hips, pressure pushing away instead of pulling her closer, and she bit down hard in retaliation before sucking the sting into her mouth. He groaned, nails biting pleasantly into her skin, but he still made no move to deepen the contact.

Pulling back, she scowled at him, glaring his wet mouth. " _Kiss_ _me_."

Those golden eyes blazed, and his head dipped a hair. "Sweetheart, you're high on my magic."

"I'm aware."

His fingertips slid underneath the hem of her shirt, just high enough that he grazed skin. She swayed forward, tongue snaking across her lips as she watched his mouth shape words. "I'm not a saint, to help you get off until you can think clearly. I want you drunk on me, desperate and writhing on my cock. I want to spread my power against your skin until you're flushed and wet with it, mindless with greed. _Be certain_."

She ached to push his palms higher, to encourage him to cup her breasts. Her thighs clenched at the thought, and she took an unsteady breath, but it came out on a needy sigh as he shifted. She swallowed as she stared at his tattoos, trying to steady her thoughts. Somehow, Caroline managed to grip his wrists with shaking fingers, and she tugged him away from her skin.

She took an uneven step away, and watched in satisfaction as his jaw jumped. He wasn't as immune as he wished her to think. Deliberately she dragged her eyes down the perfect line of him, tongue swiping across her lips as she lingered on the visible line of his erection.

"So demanding," she said hoarsely. A flicker of power, and the wards shifted so she could open her gate. Stepping through, she toed off her shoes and socks, and sank her bare feet into the soft grass. Klaus was utterly still on the edge of her property, throat moving as he watched her with glittering eyes.

His gaze remained unblinking as she peeled off her shirt, and Caroline reached for her bra hook with challenging eyes. The molded cups fell to her feet, and his gaze dropped immediately to the hard points of her nipples. "You don't scare me. This is _my_ territory, Klaus. I promise you, I'm already wet and I'm getting off _very_ soon. It's up to you if that means I go inside and play with my vibrator or you come here and we have sex. _Lots_ of sex."

His smile curled into something predatory, and Klaus stepped past her gate and tugged off his shirt. The myriad of tattoos glowed faintly in the moonlight, gleaming with the lingering power that felt so good against her skin. She waited until the gate closed behind him, until he reached for her, before she took him to the ground. Klaus made a noise of surprise that she muffled with her mouth as she straddled him. This time he opened beneath her searching tongue willingly and she ground her hips down as his tongue stroked hers, and his clever fingers tugged briefly on one nipple. His mouth was as demanding as hers, and she whined as he sucked on her tongue before gripping her waist and rolling.

She was already so aroused that the rough slide of his pelvis sent little shocks through her blood, the softness of the grass beneath her bare spine a hundred individual caresses. The hot press of his chest against her breasts felt amazing, the heat of his tattoos a delicious sensation against the hard point of her nipples. She curled her legs around his waist and rolled firmly against the hard line of his cock, searching for that perfect angle. He groaned into her mouth, the cords of his throat stark against her searching fingers as she arched against him.

Klaus ripped his mouth away and licked at the line of her jaw, down her neck as her head fell back. He ground down on her next thrust and her nails dug into his skin. "Can you come for me just like this?"

Caroline fisted her hand into his hair as he continued down her chest, their hips moving roughly against each other. He tugged on one nipple and sucked on the other, and she squeezed his hips between her thighs. His hand tangled in her hair, and she frantically rocked against him.

"Caroline."

She panted, skin hot and tight as her wet panties clung to her skin. "I don't know."

Klaus slipped a hand beneath her back, gripping her ass tightly as he helped her move against him. His mouth returned to her breasts, teeth gracing the swell firmly before he rolled her nipple against his tongue. She shuddered, helped to stop the hitching cries at each rough thrust of his cock rubbing so perfectly against her clit. Heat built, tension coiling low and scorching, and she gasped out a demand for more.

More teeth. More tongue. More _everything_. Klaus obliged, magic pulsing between them, his mouth greedy and wet against her breasts. Another rough colliding of their hips and she came with a gasp, body jerking against his. Her nails broke skin as she shuddered through the orgasm, body slowly relaxing, muscles loose and sated. She stared hazily up at the slowly sinking moon, and her thighs slipped off his waist.

"Better?" Klaus murmured against her sternum, the words rough and filled with a devastating sort of greed.

"Yes," Caroline sighed as she stretched her back, but her words caught in her throat as he flicked open the button on her slacks. Gaze holding hers, he tugged them down her body. His thumb traced up the soaked lace of her underwear and she shuddered, biting her lip. But then his hands smoothed along her thighs, skimming softly over the bruises on her knees. His fingertips smoothed delicately across one bruise, and then the other, until only perfect skin remained.

"You didn't have to do that," she whispered roughly as her clit throbbed at the pulse of his magic. She shivered at the flare of dimples, the scrap of his thumb against her knee a distraction.

"Oh, I assure you, sweetheart, I did." Klaus swiped his tongue across his lips, and his gaze settled between her thighs with heated intent. ""You're so pretty like this. All wet and flushed, body slick from your orgasm. But I've thought of you in other ways, the curve of her thighs against my palms as you straddle me, the feel of your perfect arse against my stomach as I put you on your hands and knees."

She shuddered and watched with hazy eyes as he settled between her thighs with hunger clear on his face. Gaze unblinking, he hitched one of her legs over his shoulder and lifted her hips easily, breath brushing hot and unsteady against slick lace. Gaze flickering back to hers, he kissed her clit slowly through the fabric, tongue following with a slow, insubstantial caress. He murmured his words against her, mouth moving teasingly against her.

"I imagine you're unbearably lovely when you beg."

She dug her fingers into the grass, chest heaving at another flickering caress followed by the faintest touch of his magic, so that her blood throbbed. "You're such a tease."

He laughed against her, and she squirmed against his hold. "I've hardly claimed to be nice."

Caroline struggled not to plead, nails digging into the earth. "Do you want to know what encourages a woman to have sex with you a second time? Orgasms. _Multiple_."

His smile turned wicked, and Klaus hooked his fingers under the band of her underwear. Caroline glared and her hips jerked against his chin as he easily snapped her underwear, the scraps falling away with a wet sound from her body. The unexpected rasp of his beard against her clit had her moaning, and he blew across her aching center just to feel her thigh flex against his shoulder.

" _Klaus_."

"I didn't say I couldn't be indulgent," he chided before his tongue dipped inside her with a pleased hum, a wet caress that slipped slow and lingering. She whined his name, arching her hips, but he kept his pace, teasing her. Small flicks and longer tastes that left her thighs trembling as she clawed at the ground. Caroline could hear how wet she was with each stroke of his tongue, her arousal heightened by each little noise of pleasure he made at her taste.

When he finally circled her clit with his tongue, Caroline arched in a silent scream. Then, gaze seeking hers, Klaus sucked her clit between his lips with just enough pressure to send her spiraling. He allowed her to grind against his mouth, moaned as if he enjoyed it. Just as she started to come down, magic splashed against her thighs.

Caroline jerked, breathe heaving as she struggled to drag in air, fingers reaching to fist in his curls, voice hoarse. "You can't be serious."

A laugh, and when his tongue licked broad and wet across her clit, magic caressed the taunt muscles of her abdomen, ratcheting the arousal that left her clenching down hard against the next swipe of his tongue. "You were very specific love, regarding your desire for multiple orgasms. Far me if for me to deny you, when you asked so sweetly."

She couldn't find the will for a snarky comeback when his magic skimmed her breasts and soaked her nipples. Her heels dug bruises against his spine but he merely encouraged her with careful, perfect strokes of his tongue and the pressure of his lips. Her third orgasm built slow and hot off her second, and she was loose limbed and utterly sated as she came down, eyes closed.

"So lovely," Klaus murmured as he moved up her body, and his wet lips dragged up her abdomen. He teased her belly button, the underside of one breast, and his jeans a rough caress against her skin. "I want you like this, but with my cock inside you."

Caroline found the strength to curl her arm around his shoulders and lick her arousal from his tongue. His smile was smug and aroused, and she shivered as he teased her breast with his hands. Grass grazed her skin as a hot breeze swept through the garden, and she roused enough to catch the happy chatter of her plants around her. As talented as his mouth and tongue, this was still her territory. He didn't get to have all the fun. Caroline surged up and kissed him hard, taking advantage of his distraction to flip them again. She dug her nails into his chest when he went to move and she lowered her head, hair falling to frame his face.

"You're pretty good at dishing it out, but can you take it?" Her voice was a taunt and he bared the edge of his teeth as she rubbed her ass against his erection.

" _Caroline_."

She smiled and gripped his hands, applying pressure until he let her press them over his head. He jerked beneath her when the roots broke ground and pinned them in place. She tapped his nose, head shaking as his eyes began to glow. "Do _not_ burn my plants."

Those burning eyes darkened, and the tattoos against his skin lit up instead. "Three orgasms and you're going to leave me with blue balls?"

She bit the muscle beneath one tattoo in punishment, licked the bruise to taste his sparking power. Sliding down, she dragged his zipper down, careful to run her fingers across his cock as she licked along his glowing flesh. Her slick thighs grew wetter at each pass of her tongue, and she gripped his cock firmly when it sprang free. Caroline left his jeans bunched along his thighs, lifted her head to watch his face as she gripped fisted him tightly. His eyes dragged down to body and to watch as she stroked him, the lean lines of his body shuddering.

"Blue balls?" Caroline repeated as she rose above him, admiring pleasure on his face, the tightness of his abs as her breasts swayed. "Now that wouldn't be very considerate of me, would it?"

She lowered herself and pressed against the tip of his erection, letting the sensitive head of his cock slip between her dripping folds. The corded muscles in his neck stood out as she tightened around him, rocking slightly. She struggled to keep her voice even as her body tightened around him, desperate to feel him fully inside her. His knuckles were white, jaw ridges with strain and she planted her shaky hand against his abs to hold steady.

Lips curving, she dipped her chin and swayed. "Do you think you can come like this?"

Klaus snarled, lips peeling away from his teeth and she dropped down the length of him, thighs clamped against his hips and his spine arched. Keeping her hand on his stomach for balance, she brought the other up to toy with her nipple as she rocked against him. Klaus hips jerked up each time she moved, and she made no attempt to stifle her sighs or moans. Clenching around him hard, she shuddered at how good he felt, and gasped out her tease.

"Is that a no, love?"

Klaus' harsh groan was rewarding, and he trembled as his body strained for a release. His voice was little more than a growl when he spoke. "Caroline, touch your clit. I want to feel you come around me."

She moved to brace her hand on his chest so he could watch her breasts sway, leaning forward to bite his chin. "You _first_."

He bared his teeth, expression dark, but face his tightened with pleasure as she lifted her hips and slammed them back down. Her next downward slide was as slow as she could manage, and she delighted in the strain on his face, the way his eyes squeezed shut. "Aren't you pretty like this, with your wrists bound and your cock inside me?"

"I'll remember this," he gritted out and her laughter turned to a moan as she swiveled her hips.

"Good," she said before she rasped her tongue rasped over his nipple. He made a lovely noise, so she took the hard point between roughly between her teeth and he jolted under her, cursing. She lifted her head and bared her teeth, just to see his eyes flare. Two more rough rolls of her body, and he came with a guttural moan, her name on his lips. She watched the sharp lines of his face tighten with his release, and suddenly understood the greed he'd shown her, for she was just as needy. When his lashes fluttered open she slipped her hand between their bodies, making no move to release his softening cock, his release sticky on her thighs as she rubbed her slippery clit. She gasped, aroused and riding a near painful edge, and panted as Klaus Klaus watched her through slitted eyes. His lips were parted as he breathed deeply, eyes devouring each motion of her fingers. A few quick circles and a firm pinch, and she tipped over, not needing much with his gaze so focused on her pleasure. She sank against his chest with harsh cry, and they laid there in the moonlight for long moments, breathing heavy.

"As delightful as that was," Klaus' chest finally rumbled against her ear. "I'd like my hands back."

She sighed and released him, lifting her head to grin at him. Her smile caught as she felt his cock swell inside her, her eyes going wide. Klaus' answering smile was all kinds of dangerous as he rolled them a third time. His fingers clasped hers, and he pinned her hands above her head. Caroline spluttered as his skin pulsed with power, and he drew back and thrust firmly back inside her. She shuddered out a cry, nails digging into the back of his hands at the feel of him inside her, the new angle of his cock. His power was bright against her eyes as it slid thickly across her skin, and her senses reeled. Arousal was a vice in her gut, and Klaus made a low noise of delight as he rocked inside rough snap of his hips, and her moan turned to a short scream as he found the perfect angle inside her.

His voice was a dark rasp against her ear when he spoke, hand firmly gripping her ass as her thigh hooked over his hip to pull him closer. "I believe it is my turn to make demands, hmm?"

* * *

When the sun rose, Caroline was draped over Klaus' chest, eyes fluttering. He'd tangled his fingers in her wild hair, his other hand slowly stroking down the knots in her spine. She wasn't quiet dozing, but she wasn't really all that awake.

"Do you really have bodies buried out here?"

Caroline sighed sleepily and shifted to look up at him when he tugged lightly at her hair. His eyes were closed, head tipped into the sun. "Why? Would having sex on top of corpses bother you?"

His chest shook with silent laughter, and when he glanced down at her, his eyes danced with it. "Not at all. I'm surprised it doesn't bother you,"

She snorted and reluctantly sat up, shaking out the mess of her hair. She was covered in bits of foliage and grass stains, sticky with sweat. But she found she didn't mind and stretched her back with a groan. "His name was Kai, and he tried to take Bonnie from me. I'll dig him up at some point, grind his bones with salt and grave dirt. How did you know about it?"

Klaus sat up with an interesting flex of muscle and nodded. "Davina mentioned it. She knows what you are."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm not worried about _Davina_. Bonnie is a better witch, and _I'm_ far more creative."

He reached over and ran a fingertip between her breasts. "Oh, I certainly agree."

She swatted at his hand, but was smiling. "So, is this going to be a thing? You use your power around me and boom, I need a cold shower?"

Klaus shook his head. "I imagine your magic will build an immunity to it, to a degree. Although it will possibly remain potent in certain… situations."

She snorted. "Props for not saying positions."

He grinned and looked around, lips still curved as he studied her wild garden. "Rebekah was wrong."

Caroline arched her brows. "About what?"

"You don't need a portal to bring you a piece of Underhill. Your family has carved out its own, here."

There was admiration in his voice, a bit of possessiveness that fluttered in her belly. But Underhill wasn't a discussion she was willing to have with him, not yet. She was also going to have to figure out what to do about the garden she'd left behind in the de Martel's home. Clearing her throat, she chewed on her lip. "Now what?"

Klaus watched her knowingly. "Well now, that depends on you."

"I'm listening."

His lips curved, eyes glittering with amusement. "I still want to draw along your skin, mark you as mine."

She arched a single brow. "No."

He didn't seem put out by her answer, just amused. "Then I suppose you'll have to decide if dinner is an appropriate next move."

Caroline rolled her neck. "You can pick me up at six-thirty on Saturday. Just as an FYI, I don't put out on first dates."

He blinked and she stood. Grinning, she started towards the house, walking backwards. She crooked her fingers, enjoying the way he watched her with dark eyes and parted lips. "I'd already decided to accept your invitation for dinner before Aurora decided to go all crazy."

His head tilted and he stood, an unconcerned in the sun as he'd been in moonlight. His eyes blazed, gaze intent. "Did you?"

"Yup, but right now? I'm hungry and need a shower. I probably need to call Bonnie and Gia, but first you can wash my back."

Klaus caught her in three steps, and wrapped his fingers in her hair to hold her still as he stared down at her. "Be certain, Caroline."

"Am I certain that this will work out? Not at all," she told him gently. "But I'm certain that I want to see where this is going. I've known it for a while, but you're kind of an ass."

He bit her lip, licked it and then inside her mouth as her lips eagerly parted. When he lifted his head, they were both breathing hard. "I'm a possessive man, Caroline. Even should I tattoo every inch of your skin with my power, claim part of your soul, I still would not be satisfied."

She ran her fingers down the scruff along his chin and shrugged. "Then you better make dealing with you worth it."

Klaus laughed softly, teeth sharp. "You said something about a shower?"

Shivering at the hint of gravel in his voice, she laced their fingers together and walked inside.

[The End]


End file.
